The Night Of The Untraced Chapter 4

Before Muheun could respond, Seungjoo entered the house, leaving him behind. Seungjoo sank down near the closed door, covering his lips with his hand. His breath, hot and labored, escaped through his throat as if his face were about to explode.

“Ugh.”

He realized he had made a mistake. Revealing his true feelings to his friend’s older brother, someone he had known all his life, was a mistake. It was as troublesome as ruining a perfectly good relationship.

It was obvious to anyone with a bit of sense that it wasn’t the innocent kisses from childhood anymore.

“This is screwed up…”

Muttering vulgarities didn’t change anything. The spilled water, the cooked chicken, the die had been cast.

That day, he couldn’t fall asleep straight away. Though it was only about twenty minutes, it was unusual for Seungjoo, who usually fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He closed his eyes, pondering how to face the neighbor next door, only to find it was morning when he opened them.

To cut to the chase, Seungjoo’s worries were resolved without any need for concern. It was a simple reason – Muheun didn’t visit his hometown often. They had only crossed paths once every few months since they were ten years old, so the likelihood of an embarrassing situation was rare.

“Haa…”

And yet, Seungjoo made another mistake with Muheun. Once could be overlooked, but twice couldn’t be ignored.

He could have brazenly brushed it off, but an inexplicable anxiety crept in. It wasn’t just about the relationship; it was about the anxiety of repeating the same mistake… such self-doubt.

“Seungjoo, you really don’t drink?”

“Uh… You two drink.”

Refusing the glass Jinwoo offered, Seungjoo sighed again. He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly making such a fuss when he had already given up. Seungjoo, thinking it was all because of worthless alcohol, flipped over the sizzling meat.

The drinking session that started at the barbecue restaurant ended at a nearby pub. Seungjoo didn’t drink a drop. When Jinwoo and Seohyun got tipsy and suggested having ice cream, they dragged Seungjoo to the convenience store.

Each of them took a Chupa Chups lollipop and endured the chilly March wind for another 30 minutes. Jinwoo, a smoker, nervously took out a cigarette, while Seohyun called for a taxi on her phone.

“See you both on Monday.”

“Yeah, take care.”

As Seohyun got into the taxi, Jinwoo lit his second cigarette. Instead of waving, Seungjoo closed the backseat door and bid farewell to Seohyun. Before the taxi departed, he made sure to memorize the license plate number.

“Do you really not have a girlfriend?”

“…?”

Watching him, Jinwoo asked subtly. When Seungjoo turned back with a puzzled expression, Jinwoo shrugged, throwing away the cigarette butt in the trash. “I don’t.”

This time, Jinwoo became puzzled at Seungjoo’s brief response.

“Why not…?”

“What’s with the ‘why’?”

Just because there isn’t one, why ask why? Seungjoo thought. Jinwoo furrowed his brow and trailed off.

“No… Do you have a crush on someone?”

“No. And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell.”

“Ah, how boring. Do you like anyone?”

“Like anyone? Why would I?”

Even though Seungjoo answered firmly, Jinwoo repeated similar questions several times. Eventually, he even asked if Seungjoo was interested in Seohyun. At this point, Seungjoo finally told him to stop talking nonsense and covered Jinwoo’s mouth. When he wondered why Jinwoo was being so persistent, he smelled alcohol on Jinwoo’s breath.

“Ugh, drunkard.”

“Seungjoo… How about we go for a third round, just us guys?”

“No way, man. I have to go home.”

Another 30 minutes of shaking off Jinwoo’s persistence. After finally managing to send Jinwoo off in a taxi, Seungjoo sighed and brushed off his coat. It had only been attached for a short while, but the strong smell of Jinwoo’s harsh cigarette smoke had permeated his clothes.

“Ugh.”

Could a day be any more exhausting? From the moment he woke up in the morning, he hadn’t had a moment of peace. When days like this come, it’s best to end them quickly, but wandering aimlessly through time, it was already deep into the night.

Seungjoo left a message for his parents that he was coming in now and turned towards home. It was a bit of a walk, but he didn’t feel like taking a taxi like Seohyun and Jinwoo did. He didn’t particularly dislike walking, so he walked slowly, taking in the breeze.

Leaving the bustling streets behind, he eventually arrived at a large road with a crossroads. Though the road was narrow and dimly lit, Seungjoo stepped into the darkness without hesitation. Knowing that the rustling sound he heard somewhere wasn’t a ghost, he wasn’t afraid.

“After all, I can’t see anything anyway.”

Few people can see ghosts. Unlike the neighbors who have been exorcising spiritual beings for generations, Seungjoo’s family had not even a trace of clairvoyance.

Because of this, Seungjoo had never seen anything that could be called a ‘ghost’ even once in his life. Although he heard and grew up with stories, the fact that it couldn’t be seen made it as good as fiction.

“But why is it so dark here?”

In the middle of the alley, Seungjoo paused for a moment. Not only was the surroundings completely dark, but the chilly wind kept brushing against his neck as if it were chilling. Perhaps because of the cold weather, he felt goosebumps with each step he took.

At this rate, a real ghost might come out. With that thought, Seungjoo shook his head and continued walking. If Kim Muryeong were here, he might have asked how he could tell if it wasn’t endlessly innocent. No, perhaps he could have earnestly explained that souls were not common in such neighborhoods. Either way, it was information he didn’t particularly want to know.

Fortunately, contrary to his worries, Seungjoo didn’t see anything until he exited the alley. Although a few unexpected objects popped out, they were just stray cats jumping over walls. Startled without making any noise, Seungjoo took a few pictures of the innocent cat and left the alley.

“Oh…”

When he reached the intersection, a woman was standing on the crosswalk. Despite being an ordinary scene, Seungjoo hesitated for a moment. There was no particular reason, just a momentary chill running down his spine.

“Did I dress too thinly…?”

His shoulders shivered. If he caught a cold, both households would be in chaos. He desperately hoped that the chill he felt now wasn’t the precursor to a cold. Just thinking about bringing herbal medicine and stuff made his stomach churn. Seungjoo wiped his arms with both hands and slowly approached.

Unlike the slight unease he felt earlier, the woman looked like an ordinary person except for her somewhat pale complexion. If anything, she seemed paler than Muryeong and Kihwanyoung, who were living together.

“I should get more sleep.”

Continuously having ominous thoughts meant his mental strength was lacking. A clear mind comes from a healthy body, so he needed to sleep and eat well for a while. Naturally, alcohol wasn’t included in the category of ‘eating well.’

Only then did Seungjoo glance at the person next to him and stare at the red traffic light that had just appeared. If he crossed this street, he only needed to follow the brightly lit main road to get home.

Thinking that he should go home and sleep quickly, Seungjoo yawned while covering his mouth.

…?

As he was about to yawn, the person next to him extended their foot onto the crosswalk. The signal was still red, and in the distance, a truck was approaching at a fast speed. Before the bewildered Seungjoo could say anything, the woman took another step forward.

“Hey, what are you…!”

Seungjoo, who usually didn’t interfere unnecessarily, couldn’t ignore the scene unfolding before his eyes. Desperately reaching out with one hand, unfortunately, Seungjoo couldn’t grab the woman’s arm. His outstretched hand grasped empty air, and his body, losing its balance, staggered towards the road.

“What’s this…?”

Every scene felt like it was in slow motion. The truck he thought was far away approached in front of him, the headlights shining directly, and the honking sound of ‘beep!’ resounded loudly on the road.

I’m really going to die. It was the moment when Seungjoo instinctively closed his eyes.

…Thunk!

A strong grip firmly grabbed his back. The force that could not be considered human instantly pulled Seungjoo’s body towards the sidewalk. As his ear that felt stuffy suddenly cleared, a strong arm embraced him from behind.

“…That was close.”

It was a familiar voice. Low and soft, with a relaxed tone that could calm one’s nerves when listened to quietly. Even the familiar but slightly chilly body temperature. A strange energy that Seungjoo had never felt before circulated, and a quiet voice settled in his mind.

“I had a bad feeling.”

“…?”

Swish! The truck that passed by quickly narrowly brushed past them. The truck driver angrily honked the horn a few more times. Amidst the noisy honking, Seungjoo coughed up a sigh and let out a hollow laugh.

“…Ha.”

His body, which had loosened, was supported by the person behind him. It didn’t matter that he was embracing him, or that his whole body was trembling. Seungjoo blankly lifted his head and looked straight ahead.

On the road where cars were passing by, the woman he had tried to save a moment ago was looking back at Seungjoo with an expressionless face.