A red thread of nostalgia wraps around my neck.
The first thing I felt was clarity.
A sensation where everything was sharp and in its place.
"
"
…
I blinked.
I could blink.
Eyelids and eyelashes. The vision through my cornea was clear…
I looked down at my hand. Instead of black rubber, there was bare human skin, fully
exposed.
I clenched and unclenched my bare hand.
Yes.
This is how it felt.
This sensation.
The shock naturally faded, leaving only traces, and familiarity took its place. Natural
emotions and sensations.
And with them, a familiar feeling I had forgotten began to surface. Yes. A feeling.
I definitely…
Thud.
…
…
I lowered my head.
The bare hand was gone.
In its place, there was only a grotesque hoof and scales attached to a melting, amorphous
lump of flesh…
Forcibly, I put on the glove.I force it on.
"
…Roe Deer?"
Done.
Human fingers.
Fingers with a silhouette resembling those of a human were visible. And through them, I
saw it.
The floor.
On the floor, a single thread, worn and frayed as if it had lost all value, lay discarded. Fluffy,
dirty, discolored, and now utterly worthless—
The thread had snapped.
"
…!"
"Wait…
"
It was a mistake.
Did you think Nostalgia Kitty could help you? Did you think what you're experiencing now is
"contamination?" Did you believe there was a chance to return to a time when your body
and mind were whole?
Did you believe you could return to the comfort of ignorance? That you could find a clue
from it, figure out the path forward, navigate this world, reset your goals, return to being
human, return to your home, and think of such things? Did you hope for that?
Did you believe it was possible?
Really?
To make such an absurd wish, to realize something you didn't need to know, to awaken
from a monstrous body, to experience this, to live for six months underground seeing only
ghost stories and corpses—the terror of that experience comes rushing back. Wearing
Nostalgia Kitty was a mistake.
Not all effects can be selectively good. You cannot have only the form of a human, a body
capable of interaction. What this means is—
If I were human, the emotions I should have felt would return. My fear and despair would
return as well.
And once experienced, they do not vanish, even if the mind and body collapse like mush.
They remain.
I cannot endure it.…
Smoke rises.
It keeps rising, filling this space, leaving no gap to escape, filling it completely—but it's not
enough…
…
The space…It's not enough.
"Roe Deer, wait…
"
I stood up.
A figure wearing a badger mask collapses into the thick smoke. I carried him to the bed.
Rest well.
I encountered the security chief.
He says nothing. Because his shift is over, and he has no duty or authority to control me.
So, let me—
"Hey…
"
"Is there… anything I can do?"
I opened the door to the containment cell.
I walk out as is.
Black smoke pours out, filling the containment corridor. Red and blue lights flash.
Like the 13th basement floor of the annex.
[Evacuation Alert. High-Level Darkness Containment Failure. Evacuation Alert. High-Level
Darkness Containment Failure. Evacuation Alert. High-Level Darkness Containment
Failure…]
The alarm blares through the corridor.
And in my head as well.
[You cannot leave the designated area! You cannot leave the designated area! You cannot
leave the designated area!…]
You never specified where I should be after work hours. You only assigned me a new
workplace, but you never designated my space—not verbally, not in writing, not even
implicitly.
Therefore.I can choose where to rest after work hours.
I can go anywhere.
Clang, clang, clang, clang.
I stopped.
But the unbearable feeling doesn't disappear. Why doesn't it disappear? Why? Why… Ah.
Yes.
I keep moving my feet. Riding the smoke, the distance closes. The containment corridor
ends soon. The front of the rental warehouse appears. The security team, preparing
equipment and arming themselves to subdue an escaped containment entity, is mostly
absent, leaving only a few in place. I know.
There's a flaw in their calculations.
Since unrealistically fast movement wasn't observed in the containment entity (130666),
they misjudged that it would take at least three times longer to reach the warehouse—a
miscalculation that led to this disaster.
It's a situation that could be described this way.
"No…
"
The few remaining security team members sink into the smoke. I took a key from one of
them and opened the warehouse door. I keep walking until I reach the central elevator.
Ding.
The elevator stops. I board it.
The floor I need to go to is decided.
The 17th basement floor… where the researchers searching for new darkness are.
[The doors are opening.]
A pristine office space of glass and marble, once visited in a different form, appears.
The smoke that filled the elevator pours out, pressing into the office space.
[Evacuation Alert. High-Level Darkness Containment Failure. Evacuation Alert. High-Level
Darkness Containment Failure. Evacuation Alert. High-Level Darkness Containment
Failure…]
"Aaah!"
"Run! Run…
"People in lab coats rush toward the emergency exit. One who inhaled the smoke collapses.
Some cry, some laugh hysterically, some clutch their heads and mutter. They bow.
All those melting mosaics.
I stepped into it.
Until I found what I was looking for.
Toward an office I already knew.
[Research Team 1-A]
To the clean, spacious room at the very end.
Before they could escape.
Before they could hide.
I gathered the smoke stretching across the corridor, pooling it at my feet, making it rise to
cover an entire section of the hallway.
Thus, I isolated the office of Research Team 1.
With smoke.
…
Now, those inside cannot escape.
Darkness and silence pool in front of the corridor.
Within it, I open the door.
"Ah.
"
Only one person was working the night shift.
[Evacuation Alert. High-Level Darkness Containment Failure. Evacuation Alert. High-Level
Darkness Containment Failure. Evacuation Alert. High-Level Darkness Containment
Failure…]
Amid the blaring alarms, a figure with entranced eyes was scanning CCTV footage. Kwak
Jekang, who had been checking the footage from the containment cell to the corridor I
came through, looked up at the open door. The expression of someone who realized
something.
"You… no, you.
"
…
"Kim Soleum, was it?"I approach.
"Not a vessel, but that's how it was from the start. From the beginning…!"
I grabbed his throat.
His white lab coat dangles as he's lifted into the air.
"Are you going to kill me? Out of anger? Haha…
"
Fear and dread fill his eyes, but soon they're replaced by ecstasy and curiosity.
"But… aren't you curious?"
…
"I just can't figure out what you are. How you harvest dreams, how you shift between
darkness and human…
"
Kwak Jekang's eyes, behind his glasses, look at me. He's smiling.
"In fact… you don't know either, do you? …What kind of being you are.
"
…
"You don't want to be bound to this company, do you? I'll help you! Director Cheong Dallae?
Who cares! A researcher must act like a researcher! Pursuing the origin! The truth!
Understanding!"
A voice filled with madness shouts. Conviction and desire burst forth.
"If you want to know why you were summoned here, why you have that form, I'll fully
cooperate! No, please, I beg you, let me cooperate!"
Entranced eyes.
"Dying here like this wouldn't be so bad…! But there's so much I want to see, I can't hold
back…
"
…
I loosened my grip.
The throat in my hand falls to the floor.
"Ugh!"
But Kwak Jekang, without complaint, looks at me with eyes gleaming with ecstasy.
right! A wise choice…
"
I crouched down in front of his eyes.
And, meeting his gaze, I spoke through the smoke.
"That's﴾ I don't want to ﴿
"
…!!"
﴾ I can't trust you ﴿
"Hey.
"
The smoke forms words.
﴾ Untrustworthy thing ﴿
﴾ Subject to deletion ﴿
"
…! Wait.
"
His panting grows louder.
I declare.
﴾ Warning 3 ﴿
﴾ Reason: Insulting remarks toward an employee ﴿
﴾ Accumulated warnings: 3 / 0 until disciplinary action ﴿
Smoke rises from the black gas mask.
It envelops Kwak Jekang's head.
"Wait.
"
He steps back.
I don't follow. But the smoke does.
And it wraps around his face…
The researcher, slowly suffocating, gasps and groans in pain, then desperately manages to
utter one word.
"
…Then!"
With his still-free arm, he fumbles backward, his fingers slipping several times before finally
grasping his drawer.
The temporary storage for twilight-grade darkness. He rummages inside and pulls
something out.
"How about… using this?"
It's held out before my eyes.…A red thread.
Remarkably similar to the one I just used.
The smoke twitches.
But I recall it's not a thread, it's thinner… And I realize it has an entirely different purpose.
I calm the smoke.
"If it ensures I can't betray you, if it makes me trustworthy, isn't that enough?"
There's only one thing that fits that description.
╔════════════════════╗
[Red Finger]
A darkness that literally realizes the nursery rhyme "Pinky swear, promise tight.
" When you
swear a single oath and tie the thread to the tip of your pinky, that oath must be fulfilled.
Because breaking it means death.
╚════════════════════╝
"How to use it…
"
As Kwak Jekang moves his lips, I tear open the packaging and pull his pinky, and he lets out
a sound that's either laughter or sobbing.
"You… know this darkness, don't you?"
I know everything.
If it's described.
I took the red thread and tied it to Kwak Jekang's pinky.
Kwak Jekang, sweating coldly, laughs.
"I swear… I won't betray you.
"
I looked at him.
﴾ Not acceptable ﴿
﴾ Reason: Lack of sincerity ﴿
"
…I'll fully cooperate?"
﴾ Not acceptable ﴿
﴾ Reason: Lack of sincerity ﴿I slowly reshaped the smoke.
﴾ Accumulated failures: 2 ﴿
﴾ Remaining attempts: 1 ﴿
Cold sweat beads and drips from Kwak Jekang's face.
"
…Then, will you tell me what to swear? I'd rather not die for seeming suspicious by making
something up!"
…
The smoke forms a sentence.
﴾ Proposal: ﴿
﴾ I will not go against your will henceforth ﴿
Kwak Jekang's eyes waver.
He understands the broad, all-encompassing meaning embedded in the sentence. But his
mouth opens.
Because he has no other choice.
"I, henceforth, will not go against your will…
"
Pop.
I pulled the red thread.
The tip of the researcher's pinky, where the thread was tied, is severed.
Blood splatters.
"Hahahaha! Hahahahahaha!!"
Watching the tip of his pinky roll on the floor, Kwak Jekang, clutching his bleeding left hand,
laughs.
"Thank you… Thank you!"
Six minutes later.
I return to the containment cell on my own.
There's commotion outside the door, but it doesn't matter. Even if two security team
members are gone, it's fine… It means I returned safely. I just thought about this new
situation.
About what the experience of being wrapped in the thread gave back to me. About fear and
the unbearable.…And I concluded.
I need to know.
Why I exist here in this form.
Who exactly summoned me.
To do that, I need to uncover the company's secrets.
What lies in the basement of the main building.
What the Yugwi Research Institute really was.
And if, after learning all this, there's still no way…
…
Then, I'll give up.
That was the moment I made that decision.
[That's a fascinating plan, Friend!]
…!
I bolted upright.
…There was something on the bed where I lay alone. A fluffy body. Pink, adorable ears,
black eyes, and a bow tie around its neck.
And then.
[Roe Deer-ssi.]
A call.
…Braun?
[Oh, my friend finally calls my name. I couldn't be happier!]
My kind friend was there
A familiar voice.
A familiar demeanor.
[It's been a truly long wait! Six months—what a period! It's not strange for a program to
rise and fall in that time, is it?]
[Mr. Roe Deer, I fully understand how much you must have missed this Braun during that
time…]
[And today, at this very moment, we finally meet again. Oh, it's like a new season!]
The eloquence of a talk show host.
The being I always talked to, tucked in my front pocket, is there.
[Friend?]
I picked up the rabbit doll.
Even wrapped in black smoke, the doll, small enough to fit in one hand, retained its familiar
form.
Soft fur, neat stitching.
Its two black pebble-like eyes glinted under the lamplight.
Below its pink head, a black bowtie sat elegantly, just as I had tied it.
Fake.
[!]
What looked like the bowtie of my kind friend was actually a hair tie bought at a boutique in
Death Lane.
But what was under this doll's head was a real bowtie, tied with string.
More decisively, the "new kind friend stuffed doll" I had custom-made at the Cheerful Theme
Park wouldn't have a bowtie.
The previous kind friend had burned itself.
Thus, this is no different from the model laptop on the desk or the books on the shelf with
only covers.Just one of the props set up to replicate Supervisor Kim Soleum's dorm environment.
A replica.
[My goodness… correct! Still as sharp as ever, Friend.]
So, then.
What are you?
[Your friend, Braun, whom you summoned.]
The rabbit doll's unmoving eyes glint again in the light.
[I merely used the merchandise of my cotton-stuffed body to help you focus.]
…
I realized.
The voice doesn't come directly from the rabbit doll.
It's a sound coming from within me.
I only perceived it as coming from the doll because I noticed it.
And this is…
Because it's mimicking the kind friend's way of speaking.
[Hmm, yes. Merchandise. Isn't that a more elegant term than "replica?" I tried to faithfully
recreate my cotton-stuffed self that shares every moment with you, friend. It's a bit crude,
but not bad…]
…
[Oh, or did you think this voice is fake too?]
No.
[Good. That's a relief…]
But didn't you know everything already?
[…Hm?]
Six months.
The time I spent alone in the annex's basement 13th floor, surrounded by corpses and ghost
stories.
Even then, you could have spoken to me anytime.But that period was boring and unremarkable, so you skipped it because it wasn't worth
communicating, right?
Isn't the thrill and joy of appearing at this most exciting moment the essence of your
existence?
As an entertainer.
[…Aha. I see.]
[A talk show host who could have spoken at any time during those six months ignored the
painful, tedious period and appeared mimicking the kind friend at the most thrilling
moment…]
[Fine. Rumors and accusations are part of a star's fate, aren't they?]
The sound of arms crossing.
[My goodness, I even made cameo appearances in those tacky training videos starting from
the second week…]
…
Training videos?
—Dreams and Passion! Welcome to the Security Team of Daydream Inc. Special Entity
Employee!
The endless training played on the old black-and-white TV in the corner of Room 666,
Basement 13th Floor of the annex.
Security Team Special Division Worker Training.
[Yes. Those dull, uninspiring propaganda pieces endlessly replayed in that prison-like,
shoddy room!]
[No matter how many times I greeted you, Mr. Roe Deer, you didn't respond. So utterly
insulting.]
In the middle… a rabbit doll.
A talk show host with a TV head.
Did it… appear?
Did it greet me?
That was, that was…
…
It wasn't important.Because it was information unrelated to work.
[How utterly hurtful! Yes, you had no intention of acknowledging me, friend.]
[Of course, it's a host's duty to make even such an audience listen…]
[Fortunately, this form seems to spark your desire to listen. I'm deeply honored, Mr. Roe
Deer!]
I realized a step too late that the last sentence was sarcastic.
And that it wasn't entirely sarcastic either.
I slowly understood.
[Still, it seems my dear friend has regained quite a bit of their original wit! Quite proactive.
Especially after today's short outing…]
…
Thanks to a fleeting moment with Nostalgia Kitty, I understood "how I originally felt,
" and I
could think in a way similar to before.
[Oh, absolutely.]
But…
Does that have any meaning?
[Hm?]
In this crushed, truthful form, with a melted brain and limbs whose placement I can't even
discern.
And in this bizarre, horned figure where it's all forcibly crammed together—
Wouldn't it have been better not to realize that a similar mind exists within?
This sense of disconnection.
[Indeed, you've been consumed by the mask, Mr. Roe Deer…]
…?
[It's fine. It's a common side effect for talented entertainers!]
[Now, look at this merchandise body…]
I meet its gaze.
The fake kind friend in my hand.[This humble body is fake, yes! Indeed. The splendid cotton-stuffed body you newly
prepared is far away, over 15 miles from here, underground…]
[But even so, we can have this conversation.]
[And we can have warm exchanges like before! …Friend, would you place me on the towel?]
…
I did so.
[There we go… Ah, much better.]
In the black smoke billowing from the gas mask, a gloved hand moves.
I fold the towel twice, smooth out the center, and place the doll there.
A habit I often had before.
Like preparing a resting place for the kind friend who helped me after a suffocating
exploration of darkness, post-work.
Still like that.
And this stuffed doll calls itself that kind friend. As if it's still bound by the kind friend's
constraints.
Still like that.
…
It was deceptive mimicry.
[Oh, but every show starts with mimicry.]
…
[All those processes of reflecting reality while presenting it more symbolically! Mime, skits,
stand-up comedy, wordplay, critique…]
[At countless branching points, choosing the most meaningful mimicry to evoke laughter
and meaning! Creating a bond with the audience and moving them…]
[A show is fundamentally a lie that reflects truth… But is it really all meaningless?]
It whispers.
[Because it's a lie?]
I didn't answer, but it already knows.
My answer.[Exactly. It has meaning. Oh, yes, indeed. In every moment of laughter and tears!]
The sound of a polite host tapping their finger on the table, as if struck by a good idea.
[It's the same, Mr. Roe Deer. Shall we look at the mask you're wearing now?]
I averted my gaze.
[Oh, that acting is great for stage effects, and those spotlight-like eyes are quite charming!
You'd make a great crew member.]
[It's quite wild and splendid… but it seems Mr. Deer prefers the mask you wore before.]
[Because of familiarity and connection, right? That's also a fine quality for an entertainer.]
…
[Then how about setting that as an interim goal?]
[Let's connect with the audience through mimicry. Like I, Braun, am doing now!]
If I can't return to being human, then mimic being human.
[Learn a new skill. Isn't that your forte, Mr. Deer? Collecting splendid abilities and items!]
Like buying items at the Cosmic Mall.
Like getting tattoos at the Moonlight Tattoo Shop.
Like exchanging clues at the Faceless Market.
My desperate preparations to survive in ghost stories.
…I remember.
Then, like fireworks bursting above the rabbit doll, a small golden effect appears, writes a
single phrase, and vanishes.
҉ ҉ This time's goal: Master splendid disguise skills! ҉ ҉
…
[How about it?]
…Alright.
I nodded.
Find an appearance that can interact with people.
Even if it's not real.
[Excellent, friend!][Now, don't forget me and let's go together.]
I put the fake kind friend in the pocket of my security team uniform.
Like I did before.
And I made a plan.
Like I did before.
Flipping through the pages of my Dark Exploration Records in my memory, I list the possible
methods…
And the moment the morning shift began that day, As expected, a staff member arrived at
the containment room for work.
But they weren't from the Security Team.
"Haha… We meet again so soon!"
Kwak Jekang.
The assigned researcher arrived in a disheveled state.
At least one pinky finger seemed properly treated, though it was stubby.
A segment was missing.
"No choice since the surveillance camera broke, so I came in person, found a workaround…
That excuse works in this company, doesn't it… But that doll!"
Excitement gleams in eyes that notice the environmental anomaly.
"The doll on the desk is gone. Did you take it? Oh, is it for mental stability? Or perhaps
attachment…
"
I let out a puff of smoke.
﴾ Question: Whereabouts of team members ﴿
﴾ ▶ The one in the badger mask ﴿
﴾ ▶ The head of security ﴿
"Oh, those two won't be coming today! They have to go through a light, very light, interview
process… So I came instead! Haha!"
I didn't respond.
"Do you like those two? Why? You must have built rapport with quite a few people… Oh,
what about other field exploration team members? If you met them privately…
"
﴾ Not interested ﴿"
"
…
Kwak Jekang is still smiling, but his face pales.
I can tell there's some mental scarring…
I need to make it clear to this researcher.
The questioning role has reversed.
﴾ Question: Director Cheong's work instructions regarding 130666 ﴿
"
…You're curious about what Director Cheong said when assigning me to you?"
…
"Well, someone like Director Cheong probably knows something about your identity! Or,
they might have even orchestrated your summoning!"
Kwak Jekang wipes the cold sweat on his chin carelessly, laughing enthusiastically.
"But Director Cheong isn't the talkative type, so for now, to sum it up, it was about two
things…
"
—Train them in employee discipline
—Find effective usage methods
"
…And,
'stand by until further instructions.
' That's about it!"
…
"You noticed, didn't you? In short, it's like taming a dog! What they like to eat, what
punishment makes them obey… Yes, figure that out. Haha!"
[Mr. Roe Deer, how about turning this guy into a dog? It'd be an interesting practice stage
for honing your disguise skills!]
…No.
"Anyway… it seems we've reached the same conclusion. Once your usage is properly
established, Director Cheong will likely issue dark collection tasks directly!"
A bipedal creature almost makes an interesting conclusion.
It aligns with mine.
"And there's probably a hint in that. If Director Cheong summoned you, it's likely for those
tasks!"
A hint to my existence."Especially if a researcher like me sticks around and observes, yes, if you give me a bit of
an excuse… we could learn a lot.
"
…Hmm.
﴾ Request to shorten the time required ﴿
"Hm? Shorten the time to get there? For that…
"
I formed words with black smoke.
Regarding how to elicit a response from Director Cheong.
﴾ To be used: ﴿
﴾ 130666 containment room failure incident ﴿
"
…Hm? …Aha.
"
I continue explaining with smoke.
Various examples.
Kwak Jekang scribbles the words on paper, and when that runs out, he writes on the back of
his hand. He's also jotting down his own ideas.
When I pick one, he grins ear to ear.
"This is a great method, isn't it? Let's try fooling them like this, haha!"
﴾ Add a false rule to the usage method of 130666 ﴿
﴾ Rule: Cannot tolerate boredom ﴿
The database for Daydream Inc.
's record-keeping is updated.
╔════════════════════╗
Security Team Incident Record
130666 Containment Failure Incident
At approximately 1:26 AM on October 28, ■■, a description of the emergency situation
where containment subject 130666 escaped from the containment room located in
Containment Corridor L-13-6.
Progress
130666 used black smoke from the gas mask to disable the iron door's lock, exited to the
containment corridor, headed straight to the rental warehouse, and used the main building
elevator to reach the 17th-floor research area.The time taken for this process was 3 minutes and 13 seconds, with no security processes
activated.
Four security team members in the containment room and rental warehouse were
incapacitated, 15 research team members on the 17th floor evacuated, and six were
incapacitated.
(The six who failed to evacuate on the 17th floor showed strange mental trauma after
smoke inhalation, suspected of contamination.) Upon entering the 17th floor, 130666 went
directly to the Research Team 1 office, interacting one-on-one with the assigned researcher
(Head Researcher Kwak Jekang, Research Team 1).
Discovered in the containment room 6 minutes and 12 seconds later.
Special Notes
CCTV Failure – Due to errors in the CCTV of the containment room and Research Team 1
office, no recordings of the incident exist. Suspected to be a special situation caused by
130666's smoke.
Assigned Researcher's Survival – Minor limb damage, chest bruising, and hairline fractures
in ribs 5 and 6, but no threat to life. Recovery potion prescribed.
Passive Testimony of Assigned Assistant – The control officer and assistant present during
the incident showed somewhat inadequate testimony regarding 130666's danger.
Need to verify if 130666 has mental interference abilities related to fascination.
However, they stated they were not carrying control equipment as it was outside regular
work hours.
(Disciplinary action for negligence was discussed but suspended due to no violation of
regulations.
To prevent similar incidents, the control work hours of the security team members were
further expanded.)
Results
Containment and Security Reinforcement – Strengthened containment room security,
additional training time allocated via video, preparation for 130666's disciplinary measures,
increased containment corridor patrol personnel.
Various experiments and observations of 130666's abilities permitted to prevent similar
incidents.
╚════════════════════╝
And a few days later…
A page is added.╔════════════════════╗
Additional Experiment Results
New Task Assignment for 130666 – Following several experiments on 130666, the assigned
researcher confirmed that the cause of its escape was boredom. During the containment
failure incident, it reportedly stated that it was promised "more interesting tasks" than the
current ones.
Speculation added that the six months of security duties on the annex's basement 13th floor
upset 130666.
Thus, a strong insistence on assigning "more interesting tasks" to appease the subject.
As such, with the approval of Development Department Director Cheong ■■, a special task
was assigned.
Collection of anomalous phenomena occurring at a public broadcasting station. The
phenomenon is known by the alias "The Man in the Screen" ghost story.
See ■■ Record #C16548 for detailed information.
Additional Measures
With the authority of the assigned researcher, considering the nature of the task, a
temporary assistant position,
"Transport Officer,
" was assigned.
Lee Seonghae (Field Exploration Team B)
Kang Yihak (Field Exploration Team I)
╚════════════════════╝
A justice-driven individual in a dolphin mask and a golden opportunist in a pony mask
appear.Episode 219
In one of the many offices in the main building of Daydream Inc., a petite employee with
long, curly hair sits at a tidy meeting table.
"Hmm, hmm, hmm.
"
Wearing a dolphin mask, this elite member of the field investigation team is already
prepared.
On the table in front of her are several documents assigned just yesterday—today's special
task.
A task specifically designated for her.
And then…
"Hello, Assistant Manager!"
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae looks up.
An employee enters the office, greeting her cheerfully with a bow.
"I'm Kang Yihak. Oh, you can just call me Pony!"
"Yep. Hello.
"
It's an employee Lee Seonghae is familiar with.
After surviving about a year since joining the company, employees start to remember each
other.
There's even proof of that.
A promotion to senior staff.
"Oh, you got promoted to senior staff this time, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes! We all got promoted together. Haha, no need to treat everyone to a
promotion dinner, right?"
Kang Yihak laughs, patting their chest.
That's right.
About half of the field investigation team's new hires, who neither died nor retired and
managed to survive, were almost uniformly promoted to senior staff just before the new
batch of recruits arrived this year.Of course, a few with outstanding performance got promoted a couple of months earlier…
but that was something Kang Yihak had politely declined.
They had recently realized something:
No need to create unnecessary expenses!
When things are going well, it's human nature to want to give back, isn't it?
But in this place, getting promoted early didn't exactly mean earning a lot more money or
getting some grand reward from the darkness.
Of course, if there were significant rewards—like shiny gold or green rewards—things might
be different!
But a slight raise in salary? From a big-picture perspective, that's a loss.
Thanks to that realization, Kang Yihak was able to suppress the dopamine-driven urge for
short-term gains.
Some people seem to think just becoming a superior is a good thing.
Kang Yihak recalls a colleague who got promoted earlier.
An employee always wearing an eyepatch and a goat mask—Baek Saheon.
From the start, that employee was obsessed with information and items, cozying up to
superiors and eventually getting promoted first.
They seemed pretty bold about investing to extract info from seniors!
Recently, though, they've been quieter. They must have realized the truth that investing in
the darkness is the way to go.
And as their thoughts reached that point, other colleagues came to mind.
People no longer in the field investigation team at headquarters.
"Oh, there were people who got promoted to senior staff really quickly, and some really
exemplary ones too… Do you remember them, by any chance?"
Kim Soleum, Go Youngeun.
The two nod as they recall the same colleagues.
"Yeah. They were good people. Such a shame…
"
Lee Seonghae frowns, genuinely regretful.
Sensing the mood, Kang Yihak flashes a sly smile and changes the subject.No need to sour the boss's mood when it doesn't pay!
"Congratulations on your promotion, Assistant Manager! I heard you were assigned to Team
B this time.
"
"Oh, yeah, that's right.
"
Lee Seonghae nods.
"Haha, how's Team B?"
"Hmm. Same old company work, you know!"
But information from the elite team is valuable.
Kang Yihak softens her tone, trying to butter her up.
"Come on, even if the people you work with have changed, don't you have anything you'd
like to share? Just between us…
"
"Huh? Me?"
"No need, right? Got it!"
Don't upset the boss! No need to ruin the boss's mood, especially not someone rumored to
have sent two superiors from Team C into the darkness to get transferred to Team B!
Long-term perspective, long-term perspective.
Kang Yihak quickly shifts gears, sitting down politely.
"Then I'll get to reading the materials diligently!"
"Yep.
"
After some casual pre-work small talk, just as they finish reviewing the task documents on
the table…
"Hello!"
A research team employee appears.
The person briefing today's task: Manager Kwak Jekang from Research Team 1.
Everyone stands up politely to greet the superior from another department.
"Have you all reviewed the materials?"
"Yes, we have!"
"Wow, I expected no less from Assistant Manager, but Senior Staff Kang, you're pretty quick
too. Is it because you're a senior staff now?""Haha, thank you!"
No, it's because they were looking for ways to make some side income from the task.
Kwak Jekang knows this but laughs anyway, looking at the two before getting to the most
important part.
The introduction of the darkness that holds their life and death in its hands.
"Then… here's the higher-up you'll be serving today!"
The office door opens.
A figure emerges amidst black smoke.
Massive, crown-like bony horns and yellow, lantern-like eyes glow between the black
security team uniform.
Lee Seonghae's eyes widen at the familiar sight.
The owner of Flower Golden Resort!
"Masc… I mean, Security Team member!"
Who would've thought they'd meet again like this!
With a beaming smile, Lee Seonghae stands and approaches.
"It's so nice to see you! Have you been well?"
The black-clad special security team member stares down at her without moving.
One eye seems to glance briefly at the researcher, then tilts toward Lee Seonghae, raising a
hand…
﴾ Question: Current health status ﴿
"I'm always healthy!"
As expected, still a kind and friendly employee!
"As expected of the elite team's Dolphin Assistant Manager! You're even acquainted with
such a formidable security team member!"
Quick to read the room, Kang Yihak seizes the moment to approach.
"So nice to meet you. Please call me Pony, sir!"
She even offers a handshake.
"
"
…
"
"
…Oh.
A mistake.
The moment a chilling sensation runs through their mind, a gloved hand emerges from the
black smoke and grabs the offered hand.
"
…!"
Surprisingly, the figure accepts the handshake.
But an eerie sense of danger crawls up Kang Yihak's throat.
Cold.
A shiver runs down their spine.
A primal alarm of danger, power, and greatness.
…But somehow, it feels familiar?
Like something they'd encountered in the darkness before…
"Now, now. Anyway, since this figure can't just walk into a broadcasting station, that's why
we called in you two field investigators.
"
Before Kang Yihak can dwell on it, the handshake ends, and the task briefing continues.
Kwak Jekang explains with a grin why the two were summoned.
They needed two people accustomed to the darkness but not heavily tainted.
"The employees who usually assist this figure are from the security team, so they can't go
to a broadcasting station during the day either. Haha!"
That's right.
This ghost story is occurring at a broadcasting station, a place under public scrutiny, so
proper investigation requires the cooperation of insiders.
Supernatural beings who stand out too much or security team members who can't casually
go out during the day can't take the lead naturally.
"We've already secured a PD,
" the researcher explains, and Lee Seonghae smiles brightly.
"So we're retrieving dangerous darkness from the broadcasting station, right?"
"Exactly!"
"Nice!"
If Daydream Inc. can isolate and secure that darkness, ordinary people won't get caught up
in dangerous ghost stories anymore.For a rare task grounded in doing good, Lee Seonghae is genuinely enthusiastic.
Soon, the transportation method for the "employee" is introduced.
"Here, they'll be inside this. You two just need to carry it and move.
"
Watching the employee being "stored" in a black transport case, the two field investigators
feel a familiar eeriness akin to the darkness.
They're also given communication devices for emergencies.
Small radios.
"These radios connect to the security team in charge… Well, press it if an 'emergency'
happens.
"
The researcher chuckles, saying newbies would be nervous just from this.
A quick test call is made.
Click.
[Hello… Can you hear me?]
"Yes, loud and clear!"
"Yep. This is Senior Staff Pony from Team I, and I'm Dolphin from Team B! Nice to work with
you!"
Silence.
[Team B?]
"Yep.
"
[…I see.]
[Be… careful with it. Don't drop it…]
A languid male voice explains slowly.
How to call the security team in charge if something goes wrong.
And how to communicate simply with the "employee" in the transport case.
[They'll tap once for agreement, twice for disagreement…]
"Got it.
"
Kang Yihak notices.
While Lee Seonghae talks with the security team over the radio, Manager Kwak Jekang is
barely suppressing a grin.But that's none of my business!
Realizing there's no immediate profit to be made, Kang Yihak turns their attention.
To something that does smell like money.
The transport case holding the employee.
Dark, black, and cold, it exudes an eerie presence even just sitting on the floor…
"Haha… So, should I carry it? Isn't this a job for the junior?"
How much would it be worth?
What if they could sneak this transport case somewhere?
There's a darkness in some annex that supposedly returns interesting offerings in gold
equivalent to their weight—what if they offered this case?
Kang Yihak approaches the case…
"
"
…
The dolphin, who had been watching, speaks up.
"Hey.
"
"
…Yes?"
"I'll carry it. The case.
"
"
…Got it!"
And so, Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae picks up the transport case.
It's cold and light.
Despite the thick darkness inside, Lee Seonghae strokes the case without hesitation and
asks,
"comfortable in there?"
Tap.
"Good!"
Humming a tune, she carefully holds the case and heads to the field with Pony.
To the broadcasting station.
"Um, uh, excuse me… You're the people sent by the agency, right? Dreamwalking?"
"Yes.
"They're guided through a pre-arranged entrance for insiders into the entertainment
department's editing room.
There, a PD with dark circles under their eyes and an anxious expression greets them alone
in a private room.
Trusting the sophisticated cover identity used by Daydream Inc. for supernatural tasks in
the civilian world, the PD takes a deep breath and continues.
"I never thought I'd meet people who specialize in this kind of thing… Is, uh, is it true you
can do things like exorcisms?"
"Of course.
"
"Perhaps it's the strange reliability exuded by the two masked employees in suits, but the
PD calms down slightly.
Still, their face remains pale.
Drained of color, their face is filled with worry and fear.
And it's not just the PD. The head writer, two assistant writers, and even the lighting
director they passed on the way here all looked unwell.
Something that everyone here knows about.
"So, you've heard the gist of it, right? About the current situation…
"
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae recalls.
An internet post attached to the documents on the table.
A creepy urban legend circulating among civilians.
╔════════════════════╗
[PBS Broadcasting Program—Has Anyone Seen This Man? (Photo Warning)]
Does anyone remember PBS?
Kids in school these days might have at least heard of it.
It was an old broadcasting station from about 20 years ago, now defunct.
Back in the day, 20 or 30 years ago, PBS aired a lot of popular entertainment shows. Things
like Neighborhood Sports Festival, Family Takes Off, Hot Talk Talk, Fun Saturday Night.
╚════════════════════╝
Various images are attached.Bold, colorful subtitles, low video quality, exaggerated audience reactions, and sound
effects.
They look a bit tacky by today's standards but evoke a strange nostalgia. Scenes from
various entertainment shows from the early 2000s.
They all have one thing in common.
Lots of people.
╔════════════════════╗
You know those entertainment shows with tons of people.
Tons of panelists, dozens of participants for special episodes, or hundreds of audience
members reacting, captured by sound or on screen.
Those were super popular before observational shows or YouTube content took over. Some
people still miss those days. Others think they were chaotic and tacky… Anyway, that format
dominated back then.
But there was something that quietly spread among PDs and editing room staff at the time.
Take a look at this. (Photo)
╚════════════════════╝
It's a photo that looks like a screenshot from a video of people at a sports festival on a set
styled like an old-fashioned room.
Neighborhood Sports Festival, the PBS show just mentioned.
And the photos don't stop there.
More follow, seemingly random screenshots from different shows.
Family Takes Off, Hot Talk Talk, Fun Saturday Night…
And then, at the end:
╔════════════════════╗
Did you notice?
╚════════════════════╝
The photos are shown again, with red circles drawn around a corner of each.
One person.
It's the same person.
A man with dark eyes, staring at the camera.Wearing a hat, with a smile that doesn't show his teeth.
The caption below the photo explains:
╔════════════════════╗
This man was spotted in most of the entertainment programs aired on PBS, either among
the cast, audience, or in the crowd.
An editor noticed something odd and found he was actually there.
And as people talked, they realized something…
This man only appears in episode 6.
To be precise, there's a rumor that he only shows up in episodes ending in 6.
Creepy, right?
But the broadcasting world is full of ghost stories. Ghost sightings aren't uncommon…
So it was just something people in the industry talked about, published in some ghost story
magazines, and slightly rumored among regular viewers.
Sure, it's unlikely, but it's possible for the same person to keep showing up as a panelist or
audience member.
But then something strange happened.
╚════════════════════╝
A newspaper article is attached.
An incident where a power outage at the broadcasting station caused data loss for aired
episodes.
╔════════════════════╗
The power outage caused issues with saving edited footage. There were problems with
documentaries and news too, but here's the important part.
Among them was the final edited version of Hot Talk Talk episode 166.
In the end, episode 166 was aired as a highlight compilation of previous episodes…
And from here, things get weirder.
He was in every highlight clip.
╚════════════════════╝Episode 220
The atmosphere of the post takes a chilling nosedive.
╔════════════════════╗
Due to a power outage, the filmed footage was lost, leading to the rushed production of Hot
Talk Talk: First Half Special.
Episode 166.
In that episode, pieced together from previous broadcasts, various scenes of panelists and
audience members captured in photos flash by.
And that…
There's no need to circle and zoom in like before.
Because anyone who reads this post will now remember this man's face.
Black eyes.
A smiling mouth.
In the old talk show variety scenes where everyone is laughing and chatting, among dozens
of people, this man is the only one staring directly at the camera.
Episodes 157, 158, 160, 162, 164…
In every episode compiled and aired in Episode 166.
In a corner of the lively variety show.
Clearly, this man hadn't been spotted in those episodes before. If he had, there wouldn't
have been talk of him only appearing in Episode 6.
But when they re-edited and aired Episode 166, he was there.
He wasn't there before, unnoticed…
But now, he's there.
And look at this comparison.
╚════════════════════╝
Two photos side by side.One, circled in red, is a zoomed-in capture of the "Man in the Screen" previously spotted.
The other is a zoomed-in capture from Episode 166.
╔════════════════════╗
When you compare the two, taken from the same angle…
His expression has changed.
In Episode 166, the man is grinning, showing all his teeth.
And the pupils of his black eyes, staring at the camera, seem strangely dilated…
A chilling sensation from a low-quality photo.
In every highlighted scene where he was spotted, he had this expression.
A spine-chilling phenomenon.
Eventually, realizing this wasn't an ordinary matter, the broadcasting station took internal
measures among the production team.
They started thoroughly checking everyone entering the set, whether it was a studio or an
outdoor shoot.
Panelists, audience members, anyone.
They were trying to see if there was someone who resembled the "Man in the Screen.
"
This was the 2000s, you see. Back then, they didn't verify identities as meticulously.
So, this rigorous approach felt a bit excessive, and rumors started spreading among the
celebrities and on-set staff.
It seems the capture of the "Man in the Screen" spread around that time too.
All sorts of stories circulated. Some said he was a PD who died in a broadcasting accident,
others claimed he was the son of a former director who took his own life, or a construction
worker who died during studio renovations, or even that an occult summer special from
years ago had summoned something strange…
But nothing was ever confirmed.
They held rituals, performed exorcisms, but the phenomenon didn't stop.
He kept being spotted…
So, eventually, the production team changed their approach.
What did they do next?
They just kept deleting him.When the final edit was done, they'd review the footage in the editing room, find any trace
of the man, and cut him out.
So, he stopped appearing in the aired episodes…
And with that, the ghost story gradually faded. Since he wasn't being spotted anymore, it
lost steam, right?
Occasionally, someone would claim the "Man in the Screen" had reappeared, but those
captures turned out to be of someone else with a similar appearance, which ended up
debunking the rumors.
And so, the commotion died down.
That's what I believed until now…
But recently, I heard a chilling story from a friend who's a broadcast writer.
This is getting too long, so I'll continue in the next part.
╚════════════════════╝
And then.
"
…He's appearing again.
"
Finishing the recollection of "Data Part 1,
" the pale-faced PD, barely swallowing, speaks with
a terrified expression to Seong-hae in front of him.
"The Man in the Screen?"
"Yes…
"
The eerie and terrifying phenomenon that appeared at the now-defunct broadcasting station
was resurfacing at the modern MBS channel's variety department.
"We're trying our best to delete or avoid him… but this doesn't seem like an ordinary matter,
so we agreed to call in experts.
"
The two members of the field investigation team, now impromptu exorcists, maintain a calm
demeanor, as is their nature.
Whatever it takes.
"Whether it's a ritual or something else, just make him stop appearing. If possible, we'd
prefer a peaceful resolution…
"
"Don't worry, we've got this!"
If they could contain it, he'd stop appearing at this station.
Seong-hae smiled faintly, thinking to herself.Countermeasures for the "Man in the Screen.
"
The entity is currently estimated to be Class C to D, displaying typical characteristics of
supernatural phenomena in video media.
—When not observed: Appears more frequently.
—When observed: Appears in a more aggressive manner.
—Manage the entity's anomalous appearance frequency and aggression, hold out for the
optimal time, then store the video data in a repository where self-reproduction is impossible
and transfer it to an appropriate storage facility. (Estimated)
—Failure may result in death.
The proposed countermeasures in the data were surprisingly detailed.
It was practically a clear manual, though it came with the caveat of being unverified in the
current situation.
"If we do well, the staff might even get some rest!"
Better call them only at the end.
"Then, let me guide you.
"
"Got it!"
The PD led them to the editing room.
╔════════════════════╗
No Entry
Under Construction
╚════════════════════╝
The door creaks open.
Contrary to the sign, the editing room is intact, dark, and empty of people.
All screens are off, and the equipment is powered down.
"We put up the sign to keep others out. Editing… we do the urgent stuff here during the day
with the equipment, but we try to do it outside the station, in studios or remotely, as much
as possible.
"
A modern response that wasn't possible at the defunct station.
Thanks to standardized and improved editing software and equipment, this was feasible.
The editing room, devoid of people, feels eerily cold and heavy…"Hmm…
"
Kang Yihak, scanning the room, spoke again.
"Well, this… isn't your average spirit.
"
"
…!"
Clicking their tongue, Kang Yihak said seriously,
"This… ugh, it feels dangerous.
"
"
"
…
"This means we'll need more time than planned and more preparation.
"
"How long will it take?"
Looking at the PD solemnly, Kang Yihak said,
"Congratulations.
"
"
…What?"
"You're very lucky. You've got us, who've brought a sacred item after much effort.
"
Tap.
Kang Yihak lightly gestured toward the carrying case.
"You can skip the preparation time. This… isn't just a matter of extra fees; we'd need to
re-estimate the entire cost.
"
"Oh,
"
Kang Yihak looked at the PD confidently.
"But we'll do it for free this time.
"
"
…!"
"Since you're busy people bringing laughter to the public, we'll bear the loss just this once…
"
With such dazzling rhetoric, the PD, already shaken by fatigue and fear, nodded blankly.
"Th-thank you.
"
"Haha, keep making great shows…However.
"
Kang Yihak frowned.
"We'll need to stay in the editing room for three days. No one comes in.
"
"Got it!""And with the schedule extending like this… we'll have to charge accordingly. We can't help
it.
"
With a spiel about how their line of work makes it hard to issue receipts and they only
accept cash or goods, the PD rushed to the first floor to withdraw money.
He even handed over the gold accessories he was wearing. Kang Yihak accepted them
graciously, reassuring the PD as they sent him off.
"Now you can rest easy!"
"Thank you…
"
The moment the PD left the editing room, Kang Yihak, holding extra income in both hands,
turned to the team with a grin.
"Now we just say we handled in one day what would've taken three!"
What a hustle.
"Wow.
"
Seong-hae, watching quietly, spoke up.
"You're really good at sweet-talking people.
"
"Sweet-talking? It's about creating extra income without anyone caring or losing out!"
Kang Yihak swiftly divided the gold and cash into three equal parts.
Their hands moved expertly, splitting it by market value.
"Anyway, that guy will save money if this gets resolved, and even if not, he'll get reimbursed
by the higher-ups or someone, right?"
"
"
…
"Come on, let's split it evenly. Me, Dolphin, and… our cool staff member!"
Kang Yihak turned to the carrying case, offering the gold.
"Staff member?"
"Yup! Here, how about gold instead of cash? What do you say, staff?"
As if they'd take it…
Tap.
"
"
…
"See!"As expected of someone who knows the value of gold, Kang Yihak silently celebrated with a
victory cry.
Seong-hae froze for a moment, then bowed to the carrying case and asked seriously,
do you need people's money?"
"Um…
Tap.
"Want more?"
Tap.
"Uh, is the company not paying you?"
Silence.
The carrying case went quiet. The mascot seemed confused. Better not push too hard.
"But… it does feel like they're not paying, right?"
After some thought, Seong-hae decided to ease the kind staff member's mind.
Work talk.
"I'll work hard!"
Tap tap.
Does that mean it's okay even if they don't work hard? What a kind person!
"Alright, shall we get ready to dive in?"
"Yup.
"
After a brief capitalistic commotion, Kang Yihak quickly closed the editing room door.
Thud.
Inside the sealed editing room.
"
…Turning on the screen.
"
The central equipment monitor lit up, showing a variety show file being edited on the
desktop.
And then, it came to mind.
The next post.
Why those involved in the "Man in the Screen" ghost story were particularly terrified of the
editing room.
Why they're here.╔════════════════════╗
[Has anyone seen this man in a PBS broadcast program? (Photo warning) - Part 2]
Hey. Everyone was so curious, so I'm back to write this quickly.
In the last post, I said the "Man in the Screen" was deleted during editing, and the ghost
story faded, right?
And I mentioned hearing a chilling story from my broadcast writer friend. Well, here's what
it was…
The claim that they deleted all traces of the "Man in the Screen" was a lie.
At first, it was possible. They could remove him and produce clean final cuts.
But as time went on, as episodes piled up, and editing continued… even after deleting and
deleting, he kept being spotted more and more.
And as it went on, the man's appearance started getting stranger.
Before, you could overlook him in a crowd unless you looked closely. But at some point, he
became so odd that even a passing glance would make you hit the pause button.
I don't know exactly what state he was in. The editing room staff wouldn't talk about it.
They just kept repeating one phrase,
"He seems angry…
"
Eventually, the workload became overwhelming.
No matter how much they deleted, he kept appearing, adding to the already sleepless
nights in this industry. Even senior staff, who weren't supposed to deal with this, ended up
staying up all night cutting out the "Man in the Screen.
"
So, they came up with a new method.
Complete exclusion.
They stopped including large crowd scenes where the "Man in the Screen" might appear.
They'd avoid filming the audience altogether, using only their sound. Or they'd zoom in
tightly on a single reacting person.
That way, there'd be fewer chances of capturing a crowd on camera.
It seemed like a solid plan.
After suggesting this approach, the atmosphere calmed down a bit, as if a real solution had
been found.
The PD and assistant director who proposed it sighed in relief and went into the editing
room to try it.And the next day…
Both of them took their own lives in the editing room.
A PD hanged himself with an electric cord from the ceiling.
An assistant director slashed their arteries with a broken monitor shard, sitting in a chair.
There was a suicide note by the door.
But the handwriting was so messy, and no one could tell what it was written with…
The PD who handled the scene and my broadcast writer friend worked together back then.
According to that PD, the note was incoherent, like something written by a severe
schizophrenic, with jumbled words that made no sense.
They could only vaguely recall the contents.
But one night, piecing together those words, they got a rough sense of it…
Like this:
The man in the screen doesn't want to be deleted.
He is angry.
Air him immediately.
I'm just passing this on.
I don't want to die.
I'm sorry.
They couldn't sleep that night out of fear.
They ended up staying at a temple for a few days.
Even so, most of the PBS variety department staff were so shocked or terrified that the
department completely shut down.
People my age might remember—suddenly, news broke that two people died at PBS's
variety department, and for 2–3 weeks, variety shows were canceled in mourning…
That was actually this incident.
They rebuilt the editing room, but the atmosphere never recovered. PDs quit en masse, and
even writers and other production staff hesitated to sign new contracts.
So, those who worked at PBS back then all say the same thing.While sociopolitical conflicts are often cited as the reason for PBS's closure, this incident
undoubtedly left the variety department in an irreparable state…
But there's some good news.
When PBS shut down in 2008, the "Man in the Screen" ghost story truly ended.
…
But you know what?
This was from a variety show aired yesterday.
╚════════════════════╝
At the end of the post was a high-quality photo.
A capture from Elegant Midnight Roar, Episode 36, at 6 minutes 23 seconds.
An MC and a solo guest chatting warmly.
And for a moment, the camera pans to the production team's reaction.
Among the blurred-out staff…
╔════════════════════╗
Do you recognize him?
╚════════════════════╝
The "Man in the Screen" is watching.
A grin showing all his teeth, dilated pupils, and strangely contorted eyebrows that seem
angry.
He's watching you through the camera.
╔════════════════════╗
PBS is gone.
But there's a broadcasting station that took over PBS's equipment and staff wholesale and
restructured.
Guess where?
MBS.
And Elegant Midnight Roar is an MBS variety show.
…For a while, don't watch MBS variety shows live.
╚════════════════════╝
Something began flickering on the editing room's video screen.
╔════════════════════╗
You never know what might happen.
╚════════════════════╝Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
Episode 221
A dark, cramped editing room.
Giant monitors used for editing.
Among them, one is lit.
The sole light source displays a blue desktop screen.
And on it, a few video file icons.
They're raw footage from variety shows.
Two Field Investigation Teams, having already discussed the situation beforehand, move
without hesitation.
"Let's first check if it's the darkness.
"
"Got it!"
Verification process.
A hand grips the mouse, moving the cursor across the desktop…
Click.
The clicked icon plays its footage.
The raw video destined to become episode 26 of MBS's Kind Karaoke.
[Hahahaha!]
[Wow, you really sing well!]
[You're too kind.]
On a bright, colorful karaoke set, two guests and the MC sit around a table, laughing.
It's a trending format for broadcast content aimed at WiTube: a small-scale singing talk
show with glamorous guests and a humorous, non-aggressive host.
The vibrant interior, laughter, and the crew's cheers create a lively atmosphere.
"Hey.
"The video pauses.
A passing shot of the karaoke room's interior.
A small, dark window on the karaoke room door.
There, a man's face.
Staring at the camera.
"Phew.
"
Even in the darkness, it's visible. More distorted and striking than the screenshot from
episode 36 seen in the attached post.
As if trying to catch someone's eye beyond the camera.
It was a chilling sight, enough to freeze anyone who stumbled upon it in fear or make them
scream and run.
"Okay.
"
But the two Field Investigators quickly close the video and click another.
They're used to this.
Click, click.
Hands swiftly open files of episodes ending in "6" from other variety shows.
…But then they realize.
"
"
…
"
"
…
Recent trends in variety shows don't often feature large, boisterous casts.
Especially not ones with heavy use of audience participation or reaction shots.
There's no crowd.
So, the "Man in the Screen" can't sit among people, blending in as one of them.
And so…
The man appears in increasingly awkward ways.
In a show where people chat on cushions in an attic room, a man stands outside on the
balcony, staring at the camera.
In a fishing show by the river, a man presses his face next to the focused cast, staring at
the camera.In a show where the MC and a guest actor talk across a table, a man stands motionless
behind them, staring at the camera.
His expression grows stranger.
His posture, too.
Sometimes, he mimics the gestures of the guests or MC.
It's as if he's imitating them, but the awkwardness and unease send shivers down the
spine…
"
"
…
At this point, even the most materialistic person would start to feel an ominous dread.
Supervisor Kang Yihak swallows hard and closes the footage.
But there's no hesitation.
"Let's do it.
"
"Got it.
"
Lee Seonghae plugs a prepared USB into the editing device connected to the monitor.
A simple protocol provided by the company.
Store the video data in a repository where it can't be played and send it to an appropriate
storage facility (presumably).
Given the pattern of the darkness, it was a reasonable approach.
If someone dies from watching a video featuring the "Man in the Screen" in the editing
room, the solution is to isolate all those videos and shut down the editing room.
If the videos can't be played, the phenomenon can't occur.
It's unfortunate, but the production team would have to work with raw footage data that
hasn't been brought into the editing room.
"Don't provoke it unnecessarily—just put it straight into the USB!"
"Right.
"
Click.
As soon as the USB is connected, Supervisor Kang Yihak opens the removable disk and
drags all episode files ending in "6" and the editing folder from the desktop into it in one
swift motion.
It's a motion done so often it's second nature."Phew.
"
As expected with large files, a loading popup appears. The footage is transferring to the
removable disk. If they can just endure this…
Copying…
"
"
…
"
"
…
Huh?
"Hey.
"
Lee Seonghae speaks up.
"Why's your hand there?"
Supervisor Kang Yihak looks down at their hand.
Reflexively placed on the keyboard, it's pressing the Ctrl key.
…A habit.
When dragging files or folders into a USB, it's treated as a "move.
"
A "cut.
"
But holding Ctrl while doing it…
It becomes a "copy.
"
A natural habit for a senior student juggling countless projects and assignments.
Backing up.
"
"
…
Supervisor Kang Yihak looks at the files still transferring to the USB.
And then at the files still on the desktop.
The ones containing the "Man in the Screen.
"
If this continues, the originals will remain in the editing room.
But files being copied can't be deleted.
"No way.
"
Feeling their blood run cold, Supervisor Kang Yihak stares at the "Copying" popup, waiting
for it to finish.The numbers climb rapidly. Please. 90, 92, 95, 97, 99…
Complete.
In that instant, Supervisor Kang Yihak hammers the delete shortcut.
Do you want to permanently delete these 6 items?
Now!
They had to act fast. No slipping up.
But, though their hand didn't slip, the mouse somehow supernaturally double-clicks, playing
the footage instead of deleting it.
You lock eyes with the "Man in the Screen.
"
In the cheerful scene of a variety show, a pair of eyes stares back at you from beyond the
camera.
Dilated pupils, dark and hollow like holes in his face, gaze at you. He grins, baring his teeth.
He's looking at you.
His mouth opens, revealing a black void, red gums, and a writhing tongue frozen in place.
Slowly, he mouths,
"don't delete.
"
Eeeeerrrghhh…
The sound is distorted, glitching.
Multiple footage files play simultaneously on the desktop, their audio overlapping, lagging,
and stuttering.
A strange noise emerges.
The playback positions shift erratically, stopping and starting again.
The screen flickers.
Something emerges from the screen.
Errrghhh… aaahhh…
Videos flash.
Scenes from different variety shows switch every second, zooming in.
A common presence is edited into the frame. It's him.
The face of the "Man in the Screen.
"
The manAppears
On the screen
Zooming in
Closer
And closer
And closer
You're staring into the man's mouth.
His eerily wide, gaping mouth moves.
The person standing before the editing monitor has no choice but to look.
Supervisor Kang Yihak's gaze is fixed.
Lee Seonghae's gaze is fixed.
They have no choice but to look.
They're ready to listen to his words.
He's angry.
After hearing his words, you die.
He…
Thud.
"
"
…
A sound.
Thud, thud, thud.
Smoke.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
"Staff!"
"
…!"
Supervisor Kang Yihak bites their tongue, tasting blood, snapping back to reality.
They quickly reach out.
Their hand touches the lock on the containment unit next to them.They unlock it.
Clang.
The sound of the metal door opening.
But the "staff" doesn't emerge.
Instead, thick black smoke pours out…
And it obscures the view of the Field Investigation Team.
"
…!"
Through the smoke, dozens of yellow glowing lights—like lanterns—disrupt the monitor's
light and shapes. The "Man in the Screen" is no longer visible.
Because only the glowing lights are seen in the smoke.
"
…Ha!"
In that moment, a Field Investigator, separated from the darkness, takes a sharp breath and
stands.
Supervisor Kang Yihak realizes they were practically pressing their nose to the editing
monitor.
A chill runs down their spine.
The glitched audio from the six footage files continues to echo through the cramped editing
room like screams.
Supervisor Kang Yihak still sees the thick black smoke and yellow eyes pouring from the
containment unit… Lee Seonghae is almost entirely enveloped by the smoke.
"Staff!"
Supervisor Kang Yihak makes a rational decision.
"Can you wrap up that monitor tightly and… just subdue it for now? Then we'll proceed
immediately!"
That's the Security Team's role, isn't it?
But the black smoke doesn't touch the monitor.
No, upon closer inspection… it's deliberately avoiding direct contact with the monitor or
editing equipment.
"
…Huh?"
The smoke forms words.Concerns upon contact:
﴾ ▶ Darkness deletion ﴿
﴾ ▶ Increased risk of death for the two accompanying staff (Dolphin, Pony) ﴿
"
…!!"
﴾ Reason: Anomalous nature of non-physical entity. Insufficient data ﴿
Wait.
So, it's restraining itself because contact with it could "affect" the editing room ghost,
potentially causing unpredictable variables?
And one of those variables is the darkness disappearing?
"How powerful is this thing?"
A thrilling premonition runs down their spine, but their mouth speaks rationally.
"Then, to proceed with the task…
"
And the task proposed by the "staff" is simple.
﴾ Do not gaze into the darkness ﴿
"
…Of course! That's reasonable.
"
But without eyes, accuracy and efficiency plummet…
Especially for delicate tasks like closing the endlessly popping footage windows and
permanently deleting files from the desktop!
"Still, someone has to keep watch.
" The suggestion is made.
And the staff kindly responds:
﴾ Observer: Me ﴿
In that moment,
Dozens of yellow eyes rising from the black smoke fixate on the monitor.
"
…!"
…A black background with yellow eyes.
"
…Huh?"
In the moment Supervisor Kang Yihak recalls something,
"Got it.
"Lee Seonghae begins to move.
Having just finished a separate conversation with the black smoke.
﴾ Expected outcome of delayed start: ﴿
﴾ ▶ Failure to collect darkness ﴿
﴾ ▶ Casualties ﴿
Receiving the signal.
Thud.
The elite team slides through the black smoke, positioning themselves under the desk with
the monitor.
As the smoke slightly parts to make room, she reaches out with her right hand, snatches
the mouse from the desk, and pulls it to the floor where she sits.
"
…!"
That's right.
"The mouse works just fine under the desk…!"
Most modern equipment uses strong Bluetooth connections, making this possible.
Lee Seonghae places the mouse on the floor, stabilizing it.
Then grips it tightly and drags it sharply to the bottom right.
"
…! That'll definitely move it to the bottom right.
"
She's aligned the unseen cursor on the screen.
By aligning it this way and moving slightly up… that's where the "Show Desktop" button is
at the bottom of the monitor screen.
Click.
"
…!"
"Did it work?"
Thud.
But it was only a moment.
Eeeeerrrghhh… aaahhh…
The footage windows pop up again, and eerie sounds reverberate through the dark editing
room.The "Man in the Screen" is still there.
"Ha.
"
Feeling cold sweat trickle down their neck from the rare chill, Supervisor Kang Yihak forces a
smile.
And one of the yellow eyes in the black smoke turns to look at them.
﴾ Input devices: ﴿
﴾ ▶ Mouse (Dolphin) ﴿
﴾ ▶ Keyboard (Pony) ﴿
Damn it.
"Got it!"
You get what you pay for!
In the end, Supervisor Kang Yihak rushes to grab the keyboard, pulls it down, and crouches
under the desk, nearly lying flat.
The Bluetooth keyboard works seamlessly.
"I'll bring up the desktop, so Dolphin, please handle the deletion!"
Supervisor Kang Yihak starts spamming the Windows key and D.
Over and over.
Sometimes the footage pops up first, causing the icon click to miss. Sometimes they're
almost there, but pressing the desktop key makes the delete popup vanish.
And the sound grows clearer.
Eeeeerrrghhh… delete… die… aaahhh…
Cold sweat soaks both hands.
But Lee Seonghae moves calmly. Relying solely on instinct to move the cursor, she learns
the staff's signals and reduces errors.
Selecting all desktop icons with the keyboard doesn't work for deletion—because the recycle
bin is included.
They need to use the mouse to select the appropriate files, excluding the recycle bin.
Then Supervisor Kang Yihak can hit the button for "permanent deletion.
"
Until the timing is perfect.Before it's too late.
They repeat.
Eeeeerrrghhh… delete… die… aaahhh…
To precisely grab the files Supervisor Kang Yihak had selected earlier.
To input the permanent deletion shortcut at the exact moment.
And in one moment.
Thud.
"
…!"
Lee Seonghae knows.
"
…Ah.
"
Supervisor Kang Yihak's deletion key hit at the perfect moment.
And she recalls.
The popup on the monitor that the "staff" is watching, invisible to her.
Do you want to permanently delete these 6 items?
Right?
Thud.
Yes.
Lee Seonghae immediately places her hand on the keyboard Kang Yihak is holding and
spams the Enter key.
Then she smashes the mouse against the floor.
To prevent an "accidental" double-click from playing the footage.
And then smashes the keyboard, too.
Crack.
Panting breaths and silence fill the editing room.
…
…
"Did… we do it?"But the staff, still enveloping them in black smoke, doesn't respond. The monitor is out of
sight. What more needs to be done…
Thud.
Then, a gloved hand emerges from the black smoke, lightly pointing to the editing device's
main unit.
Oh, the USB!
"
…!"
Supervisor Kang Yihak crawls to the unit and yanks out the USB.
Only then does the black smoke surrounding them recede.
"
…Phew.
"
The cleared view reveals the editing monitor… showing only the blue desktop screen.
No footage, no man, no eerie lag or voices.
It's over.
The "Man in the Screen" phenomenon is contained in the USB.
"Ha!"
Supervisor Kang Yihak collapses to the floor.
They survived and made money.
Dopamine surges through their system, making their heart race. This is happiness…
But the next moment, Supervisor Kang Yihak jolts upright, hitting their head.
"Ugh, sorry. I left the original files on this computer mid-process and wasted time!"
In moments like this, owning up properly can lighten the consequences and save trouble or
money later.
"But we handled it well.
"
She rolls a small magnet in her left hand.
A custom tool earned as a free perk upon promotion to supervisor. It has a "50% chance to
instantly unlock something once a day.
"
It can't open locks that take too much time, but it's still quite satisfactory.
It came through this time, too!
"If I hadn't opened the containment unit door right away, would we have died?"Phew! High risk, high reward, indeed!
"And to finish this quickly like this? It's all thanks to working with capable people… We even
made extra profit, and it ended well!"
But in that moment.
The "staff,
" who had returned to the containment unit in silence, responds.
Thud, thud.
Negation.
Supervisor Kang Yihak swallows hard.
"
…You mean the extra profit isn't great?"
Thud, thud.
"
"
…
"
"
…
Then…
What the special Security Team staff negated was…
"The job isn't over.
"
…
"Are we misunderstanding something right now?"
Lee Seonghae's calm voice sends a chill through Kang Yihak.
"We missed something, didn't we?"
Thud.
"
…!"
Before they can ask what that means.
"
…Back in the day, would this have been film?"
"Huh?"
"The variety show footage. They used film for shooting until the mid-2000s, right?"
Suddenly, Lee Seonghae, staring at the USB, speaks.
More precisely, at the data inside it."Even if it wasn't, the footage wouldn't have left the editing room, right? Since serious
editing can only be done here.
"
"Hmm. Probably.
"
Lee Seonghae looks up.
"But now, it's outside.
"
"
"
…
Kang Yihak realizes the implication.
They just experienced it.
The "Man in the Screen" reacted to the act of deletion itself.
So, if the editing room wasn't the trigger, but the act of "editing footage" itself was the
trigger…
"Editing… For urgent tasks, we do it here during the day, but otherwise, it's done outside the
station, in studios or remotely.
"
On the personal PCs of all the editing-related production staff at PBS's variety department.
The "Man in the Screen" is there.
They rush out of the station, frantically calling the Security Team