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“Aigoo…” Agent Choi rubbed his neck as he entered Hyunmoo Team 1’s standby area.
He had just returned from a three-hour meeting with the other teams for the reassessment of a recent Disaster they had just cleared. An anomaly had occurred during the rescue mission, completely outside the manual’s scope. This made their escape more difficult, but thanks to Kim Soleum’s quick thinking, they completed the mission with only just a few scratches and a bout of exhaustion.
His hoobae, Agent Grapes, which he had completely excluded from the meeting with the excuse of “Let your sunbaes handle it, go get some rest,” was left alone in the waiting room, sleeping upright on the couch. His arm propped against his chin, while the other hugged the small pillow placed snuggly on his lap. The pink rabbit plush, still sitting on his chest pocket.
Agent Choi’s eyes softened at the sight.
Poor thing must’ve been exhausted. He couldn’t blame him. They’ve been getting several dispatches for rescue over the last few days due to a sudden spike of Disaster appearances in Seoul. Even the Disaster Management Bureau was unsure why this was happening— they were still investigating the cause. They were low on manpower, so all Dispatch and Rescue Teams, especially Hyunmoo Team 1, were getting so much work. It was practically driving them insane.
He quietly approached the sleeping figure.
“Grapes-ie, you’re gonna catch a cold if you sleep like that…” Agent Choi said in a low voice, subtly grabbing the blanket placed haphazardly nearby and draped it over his hoobae. He slowly brushed the other’s disheveled bangs with the back of his hand, his eyes flickering with a hint of yearning that immediately vanished as soon as it came.
Maybe he should take a nap after getting some snacks. He was both running on an empty stomach and was sleep-deprived. He figured he should catch a break first before Jaekwan comes back from his discussion with Agent Haegeum, or before the team is suddenly dispatched on another mission.
Sighing, he crouched down at the snack stash placed near the couch and started rummaging for an energy bar buried among the bags of chips and sweets. He should’ve listened to Jaekwan when the latter had tried to stop him from filling it with “rare finds” from the convenience store, stuff that were mostly junk food. The consequences of his actions were finally doubling back to him.
He let out a low groan. After rummaging for more than three minutes, he finally found an energy bar at the bottom, with a nearing expiration date.
He stood up and just as he was about to open it, the figure on the couch moved.
“Agent…” Kim Soleum, who had pushed his glasses aside to rub his eyes, said in a groggy voice. Part of the blanket covering his shoulders fell on the pillow on his lap.
“Good morning, Grapes-ie~ Sorry, did I wake you?” Agent Choi sat down next to his junior, the couch dipping to his weight. He slung an arm at the back of the couch, just behind his hoobae.
“Is the meeting over?” Kim Soleum asked the veteran agent munching on an energy bar.
Agent Choi swallowed. “Yep, we managed to reach a consensus and the manual will be updated based on our reports. But given the number of Disasters popping up lately, it will probably take a while for the revised version to be released.”
“Mmm.. and Agent Bronze?”
“Bronzie is still wrapping things up with Agent Haegeum.”
“Okay…”
Finally a bit more awake, Kim Soleum freezed as he realized something.
He panned his head to look at the sunbae sitting by his side, specifically at his left shoulder. “Agent. How’s your shoulder?”
Agent Choi paused for a bit, suddenly caught off-guard, and ruffled Kim Soleum’s hair. “Don’t worry about it~ It’s just a scratch, I had it treated before going to the meeting. See?” He flexed his shoulder–arm and all– just to show that he was fine and it didn't hurt at all.
But Kim Soleum knew. It must hurt like hell.
And Agent Choi knows. It hurts like hell.
Why wouldn’t it? Agent Choi practically shoved Kim Soleum aside to take a hit for himself. If he hadn’t taken it, it would’ve pierced through Kim Soleum’s skull at that very moment. Agent Choi had no regrets. A small injury in exchange for the life of his precious hoobae? This much is nothing. He’s used to getting hurt, after all. The pain will pass.
“I’m sorry… If only I hadn’t let my guard down at that moment.” Kim Soleum’s head drooped.
The exhaustion was catching up to him, and because of it, he reacted a moment too late and his sunbae had to pay the price for him.
Agent Choi patted his head. “Iyah~ You worry too much, Grapes-ie. I told you, I’m fine. I swear it on Pinky over there.” He pointed at the rabbit plush sitting snuggly on Kim Soleum’s chest pocket.
“See? Even Pinky says so.”
[My friend, this superior of yours is certainly good at making up stories.]
Kim Soleum sighed, knowing he wouldn’t get a proper answer from the agent. “But still, why don’t you rest for the next dispa–”
Knock knock.
“Oh, I’ll get it.” The Agent stood up, casually avoiding the topic itself.
Kim Soleum stared at his retreating figure with a worried expression on his face, his hand curling into fists.
In the corner of his eye, he could see the calendar hanging on the waiting room’s wall. This month, a particular day was marked with a silly big apple doodle paired with little animal drawings. The 29th of August— Agent Choi’s Birthday.
It was tomorrow.
Hyunmoo Team 1 had plans to celebrate at a newly opened hotpot place with Agent Haegeum and the others. Thanks to Agent Bronze’s help the other day, Kim Soleum managed to slip away for a bit to prepare a present for his sunbae, despite their busy schedule. However, with work constantly being thrown their way, even he was unsure if they could celebrate properly.
Clack.
Agent Choi opened the door. A female, brown-haired agent peaked through it and entered inside. It was Agent Peppermint, Go Yeongeun, holding some files.
“Hello, Agents! Apologies for disturbing your break.”
“Hello, Agent Peppermint. What brings you here?” He cheerily greeted the female rookie from the Baekho Team. “Is there a new dispatch order?”
Go Yeongeun awkwardly scratched her face. “Yes…It was supposed to be given to Hyunmoo Team 2, but all their members are currently on a mission. My superior sent me to inform you that Hyunmoo Team 1 will be conducting the routine investigation for this Disaster in their stead.”
She handed the files to Agent Choi.
“A routine check, eh? Should be simple enough.”
Kim Soleum sighed. He placed the blanket aside, stood up and approached the two. He stood close to the older man and leaned in close to take a look at the files. Shoulders practically pressing against each other.
Agent Choi’s heart almost leapt out of his throat.
“An Idle-sanctioned Disaster?” Kim Soleum said, looking at the files.
It was the kind of Disaster that ranged around D-grade and C-grade in Daydream’s terms.
“Yes… It’s only a routine check. The dispatch order requires two agents to be deployed, but no civilian rescue is needed. You just have to check if it developed anomalies like the other Disasters.” Go Yeongeun explained.
Kim Soleum continued scanning through the file.
“It can only be accessed through a certain location in the outskirts of Seoul, but the mission is simple— you just need to sleep in an abandoned cabin for 8 hours with a ghost staring at you.”
He tried to swallow a scream.
---------------------------
< Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story >
[ Honk Shooo Mimimi ]
A ghost story appearing in the Dark Exploration Records, Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau registration number 0829PSYA.2026.NA69.
An abandoned cabin situated on the outskirts of Seoul. It has been reported that civilians who stayed the night in this cabin experienced erratic sleeping behavior. They would wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes feeling a heavy weight on their chests or seeing shadowy figures standing by their bedsides.
Do not acknowledge anything. Do not try to make eye contact. Individuals who had tried to do so have been reported to have gone missing inside the cabin and were never found again.
Keep “sleeping” for 8 hours and “the presence” will disappear on its own. Once it does, you will be able to get out.
----------------------------
August 28, 22:00 at the outskirts of Seoul.
It was a moonless night. Two agents holding flashlights were standing outside a decrepit wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere. Their government-issued jackets swaying with the cold wind, their bikes parked at a nearby tree.
Kim Soleum swallowed his own saliva.
This ghost story didn’t require running nor escaping. It was just a routine check, after all. Just to make sure no anomalies are occurring within this specific Disaster. You just need to lie down, sleep and ignore everything happening around you. Even with Agent Choi injured, this shouldn’t worsen his current condition, and the sunbae’s company will also alleviate some of his own fear. Simple, right?
If only it was that simple! Kim Soleum had read about this particular ghost story in the Dark Exploration Records. As harmless as it may seem, it is still a Disaster under the supervision of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, meaning it inevitably resulted in civilian casualties! Out of 28 exploration records, 10 had resulted in casualties! People went missing!
Agent Choi patted his back with a smile. “Let’s finish this quickly and get some hotpot tomorrow, yeah?”
Please don’t phrase it like some kind of death flag, Agent.
Kim Soleum didn’t know if he should laugh or cry.
The two entered the wooden cabin. Once they were both inside, the door slammed shut by itself, evidently cutting off their escape.
They scanned their surroundings. It was old, messy, dusty, and had a strong rotten scent. Random objects were scattered across the floor and the wooden ceiling was practically on the verge of falling down on their heads.
The cabin had a simple interior. There was an area with a worn couch and cabinets on one side, a small kitchen paired with a dining set on the other and…. two beds situated at each side of a square window where moonlight was pouring in. Below the window, there was a night stand with a worn lamp placed on top of it.
Whatever was rotting, Kim Soleum didn’t wish to know.
But one thing was certain: they have successfully entered the ghost story.
Because there was no moonlight tonight.
...
“Agent, I have a suggestion.”
After investigating the cabin for a few minutes, Kim Soleum raised his hand to grab his sunbae’s attention.
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t we push the beds together, so there won’t be a gap in the middle?”
Agent Choi, who was still surveying the room, tripped on a protruding wooden plank from the floor at the sudden suggestion.
“Grapes-ie, what are you—“
Before Agent Choi could get the wrong idea, Kim Soleum hurriedly explained in a nonchalant tone. “The manual says the ghost will only appear at the person’s bedside. By limiting its area of movement, we can easily figure out a way to deal with it, and clear the ghost story quickly.”
Quick and efficient. The Agent Grapes approach. This kind of strategy had saved their lives countless times in the past.
But of course, what Kim Soleum had said was mostly random bullshit.
In truth, he just wants to ensure that the ghost will remain on one side of the bed. Like placing your bed at the corner of the room with the wall situated on one side, creating a safe space that will make sure that “demons” can only get to you from the open side.
This time, Agent Choi was that very “wall”.
“Ah… Sure, sure! Let’s go with that.” Agent Choi let out an awkward response and walked towards the bed area.
For a moment there, Kim Soleum thought he heard a hint of dismay from the agent. Maybe he was just imagining it?
He shrugged it off and got to work. A while later, the beds were pushed together, the night stand with the lamp moved to one side. Now, they were laying down on their sides as moonlight poured between them. The older agent on the right bed, the younger on the left. Their backs were facing each other.
“Grapes-ie…”
“Yes?”
“Even if this is a ghost story, take this time to catch up on some sleep, yeah? Don’t worry about the scary stuff, just think of it as a dream.”
“I should say the same to you too, Agent. You didn’t even get a chance to catch a break today.”
“It’s fine. I’m still bursting with energy!”
“Ha… Of course.”
“What~ You don’t believe me?”
“Didn’t we agree to finish this mission quickly so we can celebrate your birthday? How could we come up with a plan if I fall asleep here?”
It’s not like he could sleep with a ghost staring at him anyways.
But soon afterwards, Kim Soleum did fall asleep. Was it because of the nature of this ghost story? His exhaustion? He wasn’t sure.
Just as he was about to open his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a silhouette standing beside his sleeping figure.
It’s there. By his bedside. The ghost.
He kept his eyes shut.
Is Agent Choi asleep? What time is it? How many hours had passed? How should he deal with the ghost so they could escape the cabin safely?
Kim Soleum tried to wrack his brain for ideas.
It was mentioned in the Dark Exploration Records that not all “ghosts” in this ghost story were real. Some were hallucinations induced by the Disaster itself, like some kind of sleep paralysis demon. The key to clearing this ghost story was to find the right ghost and have it exit the cabin on its own.
The reason why people “disappeared” in this cabin was because they acknowledged the presence of the actual ghost, instead of the induced hallucinations, and got dragged to who knows where.
Kim Soleum shivered.
“Grapes-ie…”
He heard Agent Choi’s voice. It was low, kind of incoherent, like the mumbles of someone sleep-talking.
A loophole.
Since this ghost story accepts any kind of action that is done by a “sleeping person”. Sleep-talking was within bounds.
Instead of following the manual’s instruction of just casually ignoring and sleeping it off, Agent Choi pretended to be asleep all this time, so he managed to find a few loopholes. They had a hotpot celebration to attend to after all. The earlier they finished work, the earlier they could celebrate. This will be his first birthday with this new hoobae after all.
“If there… is something…near you, kick… me.”
Of course, even sudden jolts of limbs are also accepted.
Kim Soleum kicked his leg backward and landed a hit on the agent’s ass.
“Ow…” Agent Choi groaned.
Cold sweat pricked the back of Kim Soleum’s nape.
Sorry…
Agent Choi gave him a casual tap with his leg as well.
Kim Soleum understood immediately. They were surrounded. The problem was… which was the right one? He wanted to ask Braun, but even his good friend was eerily quiet today.
Think. Think. Think.
Kim Soleum adjusted his position and laid on his back.
He barely held back a scream as he caught a glimpse of a shadowy silhouette in the ceiling. Who said the ghosts would only appear beside you? Of course, there had to be one above him.
Wait… shadowy?
He creaked an eye slightly open. The figures standing by his and Agent Choi’s bedsides were kind of a lighter shade. It was as if moonlight was piercing through them. But the one above them… Its shadow can clearly be seen at the wooden surface of the ceiling.
Bingo.
Now… How to communicate this information to Agent Choi and promptly deal with the ghost itself?
Kim Soleum pretended to groan and shifted his position once more to face his sunbae’s back. He leaned in close, close enough for his fingers to reach the other’s back and subtly write the words he wanted to tell him, without alarming the ghost.
At the sudden touch, Agent Choi instinctively flinched, but immediately understood what his hoobae was trying to do.
‘Above.’
‘Target.’
That’s his Grapes-ie, alright. They’ve barely been here for a couple hours and he had already figured something out. He was truly amazing. Agent Choi was really proud to have him on his team and in his life.
“Gr…Grapes-ie…”
Agent Choi moved, shuffling in his position to face his hoobae. He felt a jolt of pain because he used his left shoulder as a cushion. The ghost staring right above them was a bit alarmed by the sudden action, but it didn’t move and continued to observe.
Suddenly, it was hard to breathe. In this close proximity, their breaths were mingling and their body heats were practically radiating off each other. Even with the rotten stench in this cabin, it wasn’t as hard to breathe earlier as it was now.
“So, what’s the plan?” Agent Choi asked in a very quiet voice, his breath brushing against Kim Soleum’s nose. Their eyes remained closed.
Kim Soleum couldn’t think. Not when his sunbae was this close. Heck, he could even catch a whiff of the other’s perfume. He smelled… really nice.
“Grapes-ie?”
Maybe too nice.
“Grapes-ie? Don’t tell me you fell asleep again?” He jokingly said in a whisper.
“...”
Agent Choi tried to subtly poke him. His shoulder was screaming in pain, but he tried to ignore it. Kim Soleum’s silence was odd, but Agent Choi knew that his hoobae was awake due to some eye movement behind the other’s eyelids.
“Agent Grapes…?”
“…”
Any longer and Kim Soleum wouldn’t be able to take it anymore.
Then, let’s do it this way.
“Agent, please move out of the way.” Kim Soleum’s eyes snapped open, his voice clearly audible.
“Eh?”
The abrupt, unnatural action didn’t count as a movement of a sleeping person, alarming the ghost in the ceiling. It let out an ear-piercing scream that shattered the mirage of the two faint silhouettes standing at the bedside and lunged towards the two agents.
Kim Soleum immediately got up from the bed, grabbed the lamp nearby and smacked the ghost directly on its head. The impact made it land backwards toward the kitchen area. It hit against the table and made more mess with the scattered things on the floor.
??????!!
The ghost screamed in pain, clutching its head. It looked at Kim Soleum, still gripping the tablelamp, half-kneeling on the old bed. It let out one more growl before it ran away towards the cabin door. The eerie feeling, the rotten stench and the odd moonlight pouring in disappeared along with it, like a distant nightmare.
“Pff– HAHAHAAHAHAHA!” Agent Choi bursted out laughing, still laying on the bed while clutching his stomach from the sheer laughter.
They say if you can’t use your brains to resolve a ghost story, use sheer force instead.
That’s right. Just like Employee D: Section Chief Lizard, Lee Jaheon.
Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Kim Soleum put down the lamp and got off the bed. Agent Choi followed suit, still laughing.
“Who knew our Grapes-ie could also pack a punch!”
“Agent…” Kim Soleum scratched his head.
“How did you even come up with that, anyways? Haha! Surely, you had other options?”
How will Kim Soleum explain that he couldn’t endure that close proximity any longer and just chose the first plan that came to his mind? Of course, he wouldn’t admit it.
Not now, at least.
“It… was the most efficient one.”
“Looks like we’ve got another manual to revise when we get back… Aigoo! This time, you were the anomaly, Grapes-ie,” Agent Choi said, wiping a tear from his eye.
With the ghost story resolved, the two walked out of the cabin and were once again welcomed by the cool night breeze. In this desolate area with not even a ray of moonlight, the stars shone brightly in the skies above— twinkling and glimmering. There were so many stars that you would think a galaxy had painted itself on the atmosphere.
Kim Soleum stopped in his tracks, falling behind his sunbae.
Noticing this, Agent Choi stopped as well and looked back at his junior.
“Something wrong, Grapes-ie?” He, who had stopped laughing, asked.
“No… It’s just…” Kim Soleum flashed a timid, yet genuine smile. “Happy Birthday, sunbae.”
The hand of his wristwatch ticked.
August 29, 12:01 AM.