Darkness loomed over the Express Bus Terminal Station.
Of course, it also had to be drizzling.
The regular operation hours of public transportation had long since ended, the crowds had vanished, and silence settled in.
Only a few taxis like mine were parked in a row, taking advantage of the night surcharge and the absence of other transport options.
“……”
I gripped the steering wheel tightly.
Three civilians were trapped and unable to escape after seeing a ghost in the restroom near Express Bus Terminal Station. At around 12:45 a.m., they were safely rescued and returned to reality.
Now, if the ghost is safely returned to its original location, the supernatural phenomenon will conclude.
And the person tasked with ‘safely returning the ghost to its original location’… was me.
Huu…
Alone in the silent car, I took a deep breath.
Although the ghost has already lost its chosen offering, it cannot cause direct harm to the driver. However, various strange phenomena may occur inside the vehicle. Do not panic and respond calmly.
Now, let me explain the vehicle assigned to you.
And that’s how I ended up in this four-seater taxi with at least two number 8s on its license plate.
As I was sitting in that very car, I could barely hold it together behind the wheel.
The ghost will check the license plate at the taxi stand, then board the vehicle assigned to you.
Eventually.
From the looming darkness outside, a long-haired figure appeared, peering into the windshield.
She was… bowing her head low, staring at the license plate.
“…!”
I tried my hardest to keep my hands from shaking on the wheel, pretending to stay calm.
If the driver shows signs of agitation, the ghost may leave the taxi.
In that case, the Disaster will not conclude. Please be careful.
The long-haired silhouette staggered oddly toward the passenger side.
Then—
Knock, knock.
I unlocked the door.
A person with her face nearly hidden by their long hair and dressed in a faded, seasonally inappropriate summer outfit got in.
As they entered, they mumbled,
“Please take me to Sajiyuk Cemetery…”
Click.
The passenger door closed.
“Understood.”
“This car’s number is nice. The number is… goodeighteighteighteighteighteighteighteightgoodeighteighteighteight…”
I nearly passed out.
“Is that so.”
Doing my best to sound composed, I tapped the destination into the navigation system.
Sajiyuk… Ceme…tery…
– Search complete.
A location with a name too strange to be real was, shockingly, found. The GPS began guiding the route.
– Estimated arrival time: 4:04 a.m.
“……”
Two hours.
I barely pressed down on the pedal.
The car started moving, leaving the Express Bus Terminal behind…
Vrrrrrrr…
The engine was the only sound left in the car.
Now I had to sit in this cramped space with a ghost for the next two hours.
While driving. Without getting into an accident.
“……”
“……”
A strange chill crept through the car.
The plaster air freshener on the dashboard swayed, but instead of a floral scent, it gave off something else.
The smell of something burning.
Suffocating silence.
– Turn left in 200 meters.
My hands on the wheel almost twitched.
Even the emotionless voice of the navigation system sent shivers down my spine.
“……”
I did my best not to let my emotions show. More precisely, not to look to my side.
But the less I looked, the more terrifying it became. Sweat gathered on my palms, and I couldn’t focus properly on the dark road ahead.
Maybe it would be better to just look! Not knowing just made it worse! The imagination, the pressure… it’s unbearable!
‘Just a little, just a little.’
“……”
I glanced at the passenger seat.
The long-haired woman was sitting quietly…
With her neck was twisted around.
“I can’t breathe.”
I focused on the steering wheel.
“Something’s chasing us!”
Eyes fixed on the road.
Cold sweat clung to the back of my neck.
I couldn’t stop picturing what I had just seen. Her head completely twisted, her face crushed against the headrest, only the back of her head visible under all that black hair…
“Hey! Driver, I said something’s chasing us! Look behind you, behind you!”
BEHIND YOU!
I turned my head.
And…
“……Ah. It’s another vehicle.”
I checked the side mirror.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. There aren’t many cars on the road right now, so I guess that one’s just speeding. I’ll keep driving safely.”
“Ah, yeeees drive safe, drive safe—”
“……”
I didn’t look at the passenger seat again.
I didn’t look behind me either.
I tried my hardest, so hard, not to look anywhere…
‘This isn’t gonna work.’
Ha. This is driving me absolutely insane. I can’t, I really can’t…
I need some sound. Anything.
“Would it be alright if I turn on the radio?”
“Yes.”
I forced my frozen hand forward and turned on the radio.
Turning on the radio will temporarily calm the ghost passenger.
[Welcome to the late-night romance that keeps you company through the deep hours. Hello, this is Kim Miyeong’s Deep Night Romance Radio.]
The smooth, stable voice of the radio DJ briefly drove back the fear.
‘Huu.’
I could finally breathe.
But the radio wasn’t a cure-all.
Though it resembles a real radio broadcast, the longer you listen, the more unsettling the content becomes.
Traffic accidents dated a week into the future, condolences for disasters that haven’t happened, interviews with the dead, and so on.
It is recommended to leave the station on the initial broadcast. The more you change frequencies, the stranger—and more horrifying—the content is likely to become.
This was the reason I hadn’t turned it on earlier.
I only played it now as a last resort, and I was still prepared to shut it off at a moment’s notice. Please, please, please, just let this buy me a little peace…
[Now, let’s welcome today’s guest! This is a program I personally enjoy watching—yes, it’s the Late-Night Talk Show!]
“……!”
[We have a legendary host in the radio booth tonight. Everyone, please give him a warm welcome!]
[Host of ‘Braun’s Late-Night Talk Show’, the incredible and marvelous Braun!]
…Wait a minute.