Chapter 26.2
So he wasnât a fellow member of the Cowardsâ Club.
âŠAnd there was a rookie group chat that I wasnât a part of?!
“Hah.”
I returned home to the company dorm in a troubled state, showered, and came back out.
Two shocking truths left a lingering sting at the back of my mind.
âWhat a long dayâŠâ
Iâd received the new recruit chat link from that traitor⊠no, I mean Jang Heo-eun-ssi, so Iâd need to check that out later.
But there was something of higher priority to look into first.
“I should check the tattoo on my wrist.”
Several possibilities crossed my mind, but fortunately, there was someone I could casually ask about it.
âGood Friend.â
I sat on the bed and pulled the plush doll keychain from the front pocket of my suit.
Then I called out.
“Braun?”
But there was no answer.
âJust as expected.â
It was said that once back in reality, the doll would appear as a regular plush toy.
The Good Friend will accompany you in daily life, but it will be like a shy doll.
Treat it properly.
It remembers everything.
Â
So, it wasnât just keeping quiet and blending in at the companyâit actually couldnât speak in this state.
But there was still a way to talk to the âGood Friendâ outside of ghost stories.
ââŠI just need to turn reality into a ghost story.â
I recalled a method from the <Dark Exploration Records>.
Â
Talking with the âGood Friendâ
#1 Use darkness, a lighter, and shadows.
Â
Honestly, it was a bit creepy, but here goes.
I leaned down beneath the bed.
Then, I propped the âGood Friendâ against the inside of the right bed leg.
âNext, the light.â
Iâd quit smoking ages ago, so I didnât have a lighter, but I substituted with my phone flashlight.
Placing it on the floor to cast a narrow beam on the bed leg, I turned off the room light.
Click.
I sat on the bed in the pitch dark.
ââŠThis is kind of creepy.â
A chill ran down my spine, so I pulled the blanket over myself.
Thereâs no need to feel embarrassed. Iâm alone, after all.
ââŠThough I might not be alone much longer.â
I looked up, and the flashlight under the bed cast a massive shadow of the plush doll on the wall.
“âŠâŠ”
Soon, the shadow of the plush doll leaning against the bed leg began to sway along with the light.
As if it were stirring awake.
If I watched carefully, holding my breath, a voice would soon follow.
A voice that sounded almost like an illusion.
– Friend.
“âŠBraun.”
The host had awoken.
– Ah, I see you made it out safely from that strange theme park! Congratulations.
“Thank you.”
Braun seemed to be recalling, almost like replaying a tape, the rough outline of what had happened to me since I left the ghost story.
âSo this is what it means to remember everything.â
– Right, youâve clocked out, friend. Are you home to rest now? Oh, itâs quite a cozy place!
“Thank you, sir.”
Though, technically, this wasnât my home but a company dorm.
– Hmm, now that I think about it, Mr. Roe Deer, youâre speaking to me very formally! Friends donât need to speak like that, you know.
“âŠBraun, youâre speaking quite formally yourself.”
– Haha, I canât help it. Itâs an occupational hazard!
I swallowed back the words, âI, too, am a rookie at this crazy ghost story company with an occupational hazardâ.
The friendlier this plush doll became, the safer and more powerful it would be.
“âŠAlright. Then Iâll speak more casually from now on. Since weâre friends.”
– Oh, thatâs great! [1]
The shadow of the doll shook, as if nodding cheerfully.
Good⊠now, to the main point.
“I actually have something to ask my friend.”
– Oh! Then how about we take turns asking each other questions? But we must answer each question.
– Itâll be like a game. Ah, that sounds so funâŠ
Stop making it sound like a ghost story!
“Sure. That sounds fun.”
But I forced myself to respond agreeably.
Feels like Iâm working overtime⊠Gotta stay strong.
“What I wanted to ask is this.”
I immediately raised my left hand and lowered it under the bed, making sure the black letters, like a tattoo on my wrist, were clearly visible to the plush doll in front of me.
“When the membership wristband burned up, this mark was left behind.”
A moment of silence.
And thenâŠ
– This⊠is Latin. Hmm.
An odd mix of fascination and absorption was evident in his tone. The voice dropped lower.
– Socius.
– It means companion, member, or kin. The versatility of Latin!
“I know that much.”
Iâd looked it up on a dictionary app on the way back.
The fact that the âmembershipâ wristband had burned up, leaving behind a word meaning âmemberâ, seemed fairly connected, but what mattered more was this.
“But other people donât seem to be able to see it. What do you think the reason is?”
– Oh dear, it seems they all have poor eyesight! I can see it quite well.
So creatures within ghost stories can see this?
“Glad you can see it.”
I rephrased my question.
“Then, what role do you think this mark serves?”
– Itâs a mark granting you certain qualifications.
Without hesitation, Braun responded in a cheerful tone.
– You know how VIPs sometimes attend talk shows as special guests? Theyâre often given distinctive marks that set them apart from the other audience members, like a name tag or badge!
– Such a âdistinguished markâ grants privileges like special seating, rehearsal viewing, or backstage access!
I instinctively raised my arm to look at the mark.
“âŠSo, this is like a âspecial qualificationâ?”
– Well, at least to the theme park mascots, yes.
Braunâs voice turned dismissive.
– Those overly emotional mascots seem to be a bit too friendly with you, Mr. Roe Deer. Next time you visit, perhaps youâll get a welcome drink with it!”
Iâd rather never visit again.
But I nodded in agreement to appear cooperative.
– Good, good!
âBeing social is so exhaustingâŠâ
Anyway, though the âqualificationâ it grants is vague, it doesnât seem to be entirely negative.
âIf I enter another ghost story, Iâll have to see if thereâs any use for it.â
The plush dollâs shadow swayed a few times, as if in excitement, then whispered softly.
– Did you know?
Know what?
– Mr. Roe Deer, youâve just asked two questions.
– Thatâs a rule violation.
A chill ran down my spine.
– Haha, donât worry. Itâs often the charm of being close to someone to bend the rules occasionally, isnât it?”
Phew.
“âŠThank you.”
– No need to thank me!
– Now, itâs my turn to ask a question.
I swallowed nervously, looking at the large shadow of the doll cast on the wall.
“What do you want to know?”
Braun whispered.
– Who lives in the room next to yours?
It was an unexpected question.
And, of course, in the next room here in the dormâŠ
“âŠA colleague.”
Baek Saheon.
– Are you close?
Not at all.
“Just a work colleague.”
– Ah, I see. Very wellâŠ
Braunâs voice became cheerful again.
– Friend, itâs probably best if you donât pay attention to that âwork colleagueâ living next door!
“Why?”
– Because heâll drop dead soon!
Note/s:
[1] Braun still continues to speak to Seolum formally with the -ì”ëë€ speech level, while Seolum dropped formalities and is speaking to Braun without honorifics. Itâs a bit difficult to include this in English since thereâs no speech levels here, so just keep this in mind for now until it (maybe) changes in the future. â©
