Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 96
Chapter 96
===================
Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================
The ghost story taxi called to us.
From beyond the main door.
*Honk, honk.*
If we board that and follow the manual properly, we can certainly get to ‘Seoul Station’…
The problem was how to board that taxi.
‘It is standing outside this shop’s main door.’
It was also the reason for finding a shop with a main door in the first place. Because the alleyways of Samangdan-gil were too narrow for a taxi to stop.
‘Hence, to call and ride a taxi, we must step outside the main door…’
However, there was no guarantee what kind of scenery would unfold once we stepped outside the main door, or whether Manager Lee Ja-heon and I could remain safe.
Therefore, I had devised a countermeasure on this side as well.
Namely, with the goods of this shop.
‘I was planning on dropping by anyway, and it just so happened that this shop also had a main door, so I finished it all in one go.’
I swallowed my saliva.
“Group Leader, please proceed as planned.”
“Yes.”
Manager Lee Ja-heon put his hand inside the paper bag he was holding and ripped open the packaging in an instant.
Then, what was included as a bonus along with the cozy socks revealed itself.
A small ball of yarn.
True to a handmade shop, it seemed to have been given for one to try adding new embroidery to the socks themselves, but right now, it would be used in a slightly different way.
“I will begin.”
Avoiding the shop owner’s eyes, I unraveled one end of the red yarn and tied it firmly to the leg of a display case in the shop.
And I split the ball of yarn in half with Manager Lee Ja-heon to hold.
Although some constraints on our movement would arise, even at that cost, it would be safer for both of us to hold the yarn directly.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Slowly unraveling the yarn, I walked backward while standing with my back to the opaque glass door…
And the moment my back touched the glass door, I fumbled my hand downward and grabbed the handle.
*Click.*
Pushing the handle, a draft of wind blew in from outside.
And the raw sound of the horn too.
*Honk, honk.*
We must not look back.
I walked backward slowly, matching my steps with Manager Lee Ja-heon.
Fortunately, I had my ‘good friend’ to serve as my eyes.
-You just need to keep backing up in that direction, my friend! Since it is night, there are not many pedestrians.
…Pedestrians? No, let’s not wonder.
Keeping my gaze fixed inside the shop, I continued to walk backward without looking at the dark surroundings.
The yarn tied inside the shop was connecting me with ‘Samangdan-gil’…
So to speak, it was a kind of string.
‘Because as long as we hold onto this, it isn’t a disappearance!’
Slowly, slowly, backing away without rushing…
*Bump.*
My body made contact.
*Honk, honk.*
…It was the taxi.
At the sound of the horn blowing again, my body vibrated along with the car body.
Reaching my arm backward cautiously, I felt around the smooth body of the car…
-A span to the left.
I adjusted my hand. A smooth groove was felt.
‘The handle.’
I grabbed the car door handle and pulled.
And I entered the taxi just like that, cramming my body inside.
There was no time to form impressions about the modern and clean interior of the car. Looking beneath the seat, I moved to the adjacent spot, and Manager Lee Ja-heon entered right into that empty space.
And tossing away the ball of yarn remaining in his hand, he closed the door at the same time.
Thanks to his immense strength, all actions were carried out in an instant.
*Slam.*
“…….”
I barely raised my head.
And I spoke to the taxi driver in the front seat, who wore a hat and a suit that was kept in shape to a bizarre degree.
“To Seoul Station, please.”
…….
[The estimated arrival time is 43 minutes from now.]
The car departed smoothly.
‘Whew.’
I leaned my body deep against the backrest and let out a sigh of relief.
For now, we made it!
‘Transferring ghost stories… successful.’
Of course, since this taxi itself was also a ghost story, I must not let my guard down.
I quickly recalled the relevant wiki.
The problematic ghost story named ‘Hell Surcharge Taxi,’ which sounded like it would cause issues with payment just by hearing its name.
The exterior of the taxi is mainly described as a German-made black luxury sedan.
The car model changes with each call, but it can be identified by the vermilion taxi sign light and the golden inverted cross decoration on the mirror in front of the driver’s seat.
I looked at the driver’s seat.
…A sinister-looking golden inverted cross hung from the front mirror, swaying.
Confirmed.
‘Whew.’
Even though it was according to plan, tension crept up my spine.
Perhaps because we were trapped in a confined space called a taxi. Along with the pressure of having entered a scary story where one could not escape no matter what happened…
*Tick, tick.*
The meter rose.
[10000]
[10100]
[10200]
It was fast.
“Driver.”
I had to start a conversation quickly.
The more the driver loses interest in the passenger, the faster the vehicle speed becomes, and the meter rises rapidly.
And when the meter rises…
The taxi passenger receives a curse corresponding to the meter amount upon getting off.
Right.
The fare of this taxi is not collecting money, but allocating a curse.
To be exact, it was closer to ‘something bad that occurs supernaturally’ rather than a curse, which made it even more eerie.
However, if the driver steadily maintains interest in the passenger and drives slowly, the meter rises slowly, and this ‘curse’ ends at a level that the passenger can endure.
In the opposite case…
‘The moment we get off the madly speeding taxi, we will receive a curse we cannot handle.’
Moreover, just because the taxi’s speed is fast does not mean it arrives at the destination early.
All taxis arrive on time, and the speed of the taxi is unrelated to the scheduled arrival time.
The time pronounced to me was 43 minutes.
During this time, I had to steadily attract the other party’s interest.
‘It is said that if the vehicle speed increases, the probability of abnormal phenomena occurring inside the car, such as glass windows breaking, increases…’
I absolutely do not want to experience that.
Still, since I had already read the records, didn’t I know what kind of conversation the other party would be interested in?
That was correct.
If there was a problem, it was that there were as many as four candidates for that ‘other party’!
A total of four taxi drivers work in shifts, calling each other by numbers.
Their appearances are completely identical, but they show subtle differences in customer service, and exhibit distinct preferences in the story topics they find interesting.
They look identical so one cannot distinguish who is who, but if you straight up ask which number they are, they will display displeasure and kick you out of the taxi.
‘And the person kicked out goes missing…’
Therefore, there was no choice but to converse to find out who it was.
The keywords confirmed to have attracted the interest of each driver in the exploration records are as follows:
Number 1 / Olympics, elections, pets, games, SNS.
Number 2 / War, mafia, action movies, vampire legends, firearms.
Number 3 / Good restaurants, farming, economic recession, slum travel, luxury goods.
Number 4 / Afterlife, religious experiences, pandemics, massacres, ■■■.
Thus, the original strategy started with finding out as quickly as possible through the first conversation which number driver among these we were dealing with.
However.
If the exploration records were accumulated in my head to this extent, I could attempt other things as well.
The conversational method to get off this taxi in the most intact state.
[Passenger.]
“…….”
Already, the first question had begun.
An arrogant voice that sounded strangely mocking flowed from the driver operating the vehicle in the front seat…
[How was your day today?]
“I just worked.”
[Aha.]
The driver does not directly express preferences regarding the passenger’s talk, but only throws questions.
But the meter answered.
[10500]
[10700]
[10900]
[11200]
It was running out of control.
-Oh dear, doesn’t that driver know the concept of small talk? My friend, if you wish, an competent broadcaster like myself can chip in a word…
‘It’s fine.’
It was the expected result. I quickly and nonchalantly appended the next words.
“But I almost died while working.”
*Stop.*
“Because I tried to buy meat at a butcher shop and almost became the meat myself.”
The meter stopped.
[11300]
“Fortunately, the shop owner was a vegetarian. I handed over agricultural products in a barter exchange and got away. I even won the bargaining and received money.”
[…….]
The driver’s fingers tapping the steering wheel slowed down.
…The vehicle slowed down.
[And what happened next?]
Whew.
“I headed to the back alley.”
‘It worked.’
What was I doing, you ask?
‘Weaving as many correct answer keywords as possible into my replies.’
So that whichever driver sitting there would take interest.
So-called the ‘surely one of these must be something you’re interested in’ strategy.
And as it happened, my current situation allowed me to naturally bring up all sorts of stimulating topics in a daily manner.
‘After all, I had gone through no ordinary ups and downs over the past half year.’
[What will you be doing tomorrow?]
The topics of conversation did not run dry easily.
“First, I plan to rest and organize what has happened so far. It has been full of ups and downs.”
No matter what question the taxi driver threw, I kept turning the conversation toward stimulating experiences and topics that gave plenty to talk about.
And I kept weaving them in.
Nightmares, food, blood, violence, survival of the fittest, mascot, cooking, fortune-telling, ghosts…
All of them melted into normal conversation.
In the end, the vehicle advanced slowly, at a speed like a bicycle.
I kept talking endlessly. It was an audio-filling performance that made Brown marvel a few times.
And around the time my throat was almost hoarse.
[…We have arrived.]
The taxi stopped.
[Your destination, ‘Seoul Station.’]
…*Click.*
The lock of the taxi’s rear door was released. And the tinted glass window rolled down, revealing a familiar scenery…
It was the night view of Seoul Station.
‘Ha…!’
It made me so glad that I felt like I was going to cry.
I wanted to dash out immediately, but I had to settle the fare first.
I looked at the meter.
[29700]
[29800]
*Click.*
The driver terminated the meter.
[29800]
‘I did it…!’
Finishing in the twenty-thousand-won range was normally only possible for a distance within 10 minutes.
At this level, there would be no permanent damage.
[It is the fare settlement.]
The taxi driver held out his hand backward.
A check was held in that hand.
-29,900 / Code 1
I carefully received that classic-style paper check, stamped with a snake-shaped wax seal…
An explanation was written on the back.
The code representing the curse the passenger would receive.
Fare Code 1: Illness.
– High fever, headache, spitting blood, and chills for three days.
Good.
‘It is very fine.’
It was much better than my financial fortune going terribly bad or people around me dying.
“Thank you.”
Holding the check, I bowed deeply to the driver’s seat and finally escaped out of the taxi.
‘Whew.’
How could the winter air feel this good…
*Tap, tap.*
“…!”
The glass window of the taxi driver’s seat rolled down halfway.
[Passenger.]
I almost fainted.
“Yes.”
[It was a pleasant conversation. I think my colleagues would also be interested in your stories…]
In the darkness, the hand wearing a white glove that was holding the steering wheel went tap-tap, tapping its fingers…
[Let’s meet once after we retire. I will buy you a drink then.]
I swallowed my saliva.
…Did you notice by any chance?
Actually, the driver of this taxi has a very clear and famous motif.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
A ghost story utilizing a play on words, where the horsemen of Conquest, War, Famine, and Death work literally as taxi drivers of the end times.
Grasping the current situation based on this… the remark just now was one that made cold sweat flow.
However, I could nod my head resolutely.
“Yes.”
Because the Horsemen of the Apocalypse will not be able to retire until the end of the world comes!
Before that, I will return.
“It would be nice if the opportunity arises. Well then, good luck with your shift.”
[Hahaha… Yes. How tedious.]
The taxi’s window rolled up again.
The black vehicle slipped away from Seoul Station like a ghost in an instant.
Leaving only the vermilion taxi sign.
“…….”
I looked at the minus check held in my hand.
At that moment.
The check burned up, and the spitting of blood began.
“*Cough.*”
High fever and headache scorched my head, but it was bearable.
And Lizard was staring at me in that state.
Spitting blood steadily from between his snout just the same.
‘Uaaah.’
It probably wasn’t a very pleasant sight, but having no choice, I swallowed my blood-mixed saliva and spoke.
“Um, this will heal immediately after three days pass. It seemed to be… that kind of rule.”
“Yes.”
“And thank you. For not prying into how I knew this, and for trusting and leaving it to me even in the taxi. *Cough*,”
Lizard stared at me as I coughed up blood.
“Mr. Kim Sol-eum.”
“Yes?”
“Take sick leave.”
“Yes…”
After a while.
We waited until the coughing of blood subsided a bit, we called a taxi again and returned to the company housing.
Although riding a taxi again felt rather uncomfortable, there were no other anomalies, and the manager and I succeeded in returning home safely, except for having raging fevers.
‘To think that Group Leader Lee Ja-heon also lived in the company housing building.’
At any rate, we parted in front of the building.
“Take sick leave.”
“Yes… thank you.”
Let’s talk in more detail at the company later.
‘Whew.’
Like that…
I returned safely.
‘Even if it’s company housing, home is indeed nice.’
Entering through the door, the warmth unique to a heated interior circulated. It felt almost like pleasure.
Since I was even sick, I just wanted to take a hot shower right away and sleep soundly, but…
Well, it was because there was one more thing to do.
‘Huh.’
I checked the shoes in the entryway that were not mine.
They were Baek Sa-heon’s shoes.