bookpub Chapter 327: Break (23)
Chapter 327: Break (23)
Chapter 327: Break (23)
I had to keep it cool. I managed a shaky smile and turned to Goh Yoo-Joon, my voice tinged with uncertainty, “...Did you also see that person who just came in, or was it just me seeing things?”
“...What?” Goh Yoo-Joon’s face was drained of color. He turned slowly toward me, his eyes wide with fear, and clung to me as he started to scream. “What, what! What did you see?”
“It’s nothing, just... Forget it.”
Looking at his face, it was clear he hadn’t seen anything. When I suddenly stopped speaking, he shook his head frantically as if he was frightened by my abrupt silence. He hurriedly tried to leave the storage room.
“This is insane. I think Suh Hyun-Woo just saw a ghost, everyone. Let's get out of here, now!”
“We’re leaving?”
That wasn’t an option for me. I pried his grasping hands off me and grabbed the phone from him.
“If you’re scared, wait outside for me.” I sent Goh Yoo-Joon stumbling out toward the lodge with a firm push while I turned back to our search. The air was thick with tension, but the mystery of the treasure beckoned.
“Hold on just a bit longer, please. I will find it quickly. Keep your eyes peeled too, everyone.”
Was it really just a mere piece of paper marked with the word ‘treasure?’ We needed to find it to bring our day’s plans to fruition, so I absolutely had to find it and make my way back.
- Wow, this live stream is turning into a legend ??
- Let's just leave, Hyun-Woo. I’m too scared...????
- Isn’t this dangerous? The light flickering earlier when Yoon-Chan was there was a bit weird
- Did anyone else just hear something, or was it just me??
- Hyun-Woo, why aren’t you scared at all ????Let's just go, please...
- Huh, was I the only one who heard that? I definitely heard a man’s voice just now.
“No, Rings. I was mistaken. There’s no ghost here, for real.”
My clumsy attempt to backtrack had the chat urging us to leave even faster. When I couldn’t push my agenda to search alone any longer, I finally spotted the treasure paper atop a drawer and snatched it.
The chat was previously ablaze with activity, but it quieted down only after I emerged from the shed.
“I’m out, everyone. I’ve come out, so relax. You all worried a lot, huh? Sorry about that.”
“Are you actually not scared? Wow, my palms are sweating.”
As soon as I stepped outside, I playfully kicked Goh Yoo-Joon in the butt and we quickly made our way down the hill. During our descent, I kept up the dialogue with the viewers, some of whom mentioned they had heard a voice too.
Those who heard the voice described it as a quick, fleeting mumble from a young man, but I couldn’t say whether it matched the person or ghost I saw.
“There was a reason I had to retrieve this. Sorry for the scare.”
“Look. Because of you, I’m getting scolded by the viewers too. Just scold Suh Hyun-Woo, Rings. I did nothing wrong.”
I got an earful from the viewers and had to keep apologizing until we reached the lodge. As we entered, the atmosphere was thick with an air of unease.
“Oh, you guys are here.”
“What’s all this?”
Crying now would be embarrassingly out of place. I frowned, but tears spilled over regardless.
I had longed to live this moment, once only imaginable.
“...Hyung, why are you crying? If you cry, I’m gonna cry too." Tears tinged Yoon-Chan's voice, and arms enveloped me comfortably as I buried my face in my hands.
“Ah, why are you crying again! Ah, really. Ah..."
Cries echoed around us.
“It's really happening." Joo-Han's voice cracked with emotion, and we all just let the tears flow for a while.
***
As things settled down, the members resumed the Q-app live session with our eyes red and puffy. Joo-Han relayed the concert dates received from the agency to the Rings and began winding down the broadcast.
“Thanks for sticking with Chronos through this daring experience. To keep you entertained until our vacation ends, we will keep dropping photos and videos."
“Get involved too. We are curious about what our fans are up to, so use the hashtag #WatchThisChronos to share your updates."
While continuing the live stream, the members occasionally glanced at Goh Yoo-Joon's phone.
‘Gosh, so persistent.'
His phone had been buzzing non-stop since we announced the concert. I noticed it go off at least half a dozen times. It was an unfamiliar number, probably a stalker trying to confirm if they'd gotten the right number during our live stream.
Luckily, all the members had set their phones to silent before going live.
'But why does that number seem familiar?'
Where have I seen it before? Normally, I didn't even glance at stalkers’ numbers as I deleted them. So, it was strange to feel a flicker of recognition.
“Well, should we wrap up the live session now? It’s getting late, and you all have work or school tomorrow. That's it for today. Chronos, out! Thank you!"
“See you after our vacation!"
As soon as the live stream ended, all eyes darted to Goh Yoo-Joon's phone.
“Haah." He sighed deeply and stood up, lifting his phone with a grimace that he seldom showed to others.
“Hyung, if it's an unknown number, just block it," Jin-Sung advised.
Goh Yoo-Joon softened and shook his head. “It’s someone I know. I need to take this call."
His shoulders slumped, and he nervously ran his fingers through his hair and headed to his room.
“...Ah." I recognized the number in an instant.
After Goh Yoo-Joon had dropped out of high school, we'd been in a similar situation then, and I had snatched his phone away while telling him not to answer. Since he turned fifteen and had become a trainee, that person would call annoyingly often.
Of course, I had forgotten this after I became a trainer, but this was enough for even Han Jun and I, who always hung out with Goh Yoo-Joon, to memorize the number out of sheer dread. It was his father's number.
Looking back, he was a man of poor character. However, it seemed Goh Yoo-Joon foolishly hadn’t managed to cut ties and had even given his new number to his dad.
“...This is unbelievable."
I headed toward Goh Yoo-Joon’s room without hesitation.