I Returned, and Now I See Strange Things-Chapter 17: Also?
Inside a car speeding down the highway.
Hyesung was driving, and Hyeyeon sat beside him in the passenger seat.
In the back seat sat Ayun.
Her cheeks were puffed out as she chewed on something.
It was walnut cakes she’d picked up at the rest stop they’d stopped at earlier.
Actually, it wasn’t just the walnut cakes.
Tornado potato.
She’d dusted them with cheese powder and started picking at them one by one—before they vanished like a magic trick.
Roasted baby potatoes with butter.
She’d tried one from a skewer, her eyes lighting up before she devoured the rest in a frenzy.
Lastly, a hot dog.
She’d eaten the whole massive thing, clean, without a single drop of sauce.
No one could figure out how she’d managed to take bites that big with that mouth of hers.
And even after all that, she’d still eyed the walnut cakes and ended up buying a whole bag.
That all of it fit inside that tiny body of hers—and that she could still eat more—was nothing short of amazing.
Hyeyeon looked at Ayun through the rearview mirror, her face a picture of disbelief.
“...Unni, aren’t you full?”
“I’m full, but I can still eat more.”
“What if you get carsick?”
“I’ll be fine~.”
Hyesung, listening in on the conversation, glanced at Ayun through the mirror.
To Hyesung, Ayun remained a complete enigma.
With powers like that, you’d think she’d be known in the field—but no one he asked had ever heard of her.
Granted, most people in the paranormal community didn’t deal with urban legends or ghost stories like this... but still, it was odd how little she seemed to know.
She didn’t even recognize some pretty well-known cases.
And if she was working in secret, on the fringes of society... that was even weirder.
People who worked in the shadows usually charged big money—but judging by her behavior, even a beggar would look more well-off.
So was she indifferent to money?
Nope.
Even the first time she helped him, she’d asked for a (modest) financial reward.
Same as last time, and this time too.
She definitely moved for money.
...She seemed inherently good-natured, but there were far too many suspicious details about her.
Honestly, her appearance was the most suspicious of all.
When she was wandering around looking like a ghost, sure, she seemed odd.
But cleaned up and dressed like a person, her rare hair color stood out like a beacon.
Same with her eyes.
He’d wondered if she was mixed-race or a foreigner... but nope, her name was proudly “Bo Ayun.”
“Pfft—!”
Thinking about her name, Hyesung accidentally let out a laugh.
In the passenger seat, Hyeyeon frowned.
“What are you thinking about over there that’s so funny?”
“...I wasn’t laughing, I was coughing.”
“Pretty sure that was laughing.”
“...I’m driving. Don’t provoke me.”
“You were definitely thinking weird thoughts.”
Cold sweat trickled down Hyesung’s spine.
His pain-in-the-ass sister—the kind who never let go once she got curious.
If he told her the truth, he could already imagine a hand flying at the back of his head, even while driving.
...Okay, maybe that wouldn’t actually happen, but still—he had a bad feeling and knew he needed to change the subject.
Something the gremlin really cared about would do the trick.
“Anyway, why don’t you tell us more about the one we’re going to look for? I’m sure Ayun-noona’s curious too.”
Ayun, still chewing walnut cake, opened her eyes wide and said:
“That one?”
“...Please finish eating before you speak.”
After chomping a few more bites and taking a sip of water, Ayun spoke again.
“That one? Didn’t we already go over it last time?”
“...There might be things we didn’t hear.”
Something in Hyesung’s voice made it sound almost desperate, and Ayun gave a thoughtless little nod.
Hyeyeon, giving her brother a weird look, sighed like she was letting it slide this once and began to explain.
“It looks kind of like a tiger in silhouette, but it’s said to have long, silky fur—almost like silk itself. Now that I think about it, the color’s probably close to your hair, unni.”
“Mmm...”
Ayun absentmindedly played with her hair while chewing the walnut cake.
‘...If it’s real, I might actually be a little offended.’
Hyeyeon, now fully in the storytelling zone, went on:
“They say it can mimic disturbing noises, like something scratching, or the sound of rain, leaves rustling in the wind, even human voices.”
“The more I hear, the more fake it sounds,” Hyesung quipped from the driver’s seat.
“Haha... I’d be in trouble if it wasn’t real. But with noona here, I’m sure we’ll find something.”
“...You kinda sound like you don’t want it to be real.”
“Of course not!”
“Oppa, shut up and focus on driving.”
After Hyesung’s awkward chuckle faded, Hyeyeon resumed her explanation.
“There are also rumors it has hallucination powers. It likes rainy days... maybe that’s why it hates the smell of something burning. Oh, and I think I read somewhere it likes alcohol.”
The sound of rustling broke the moment.
Ayun was shaking the bag, checking for any walnut cakes left.
The car fell silent.
Ayun scratched her head, looking a bit sheepish.
“Doesn’t sound much different from what we already heard. Anything else?”
“Hmm... not really. If I had to add one more thing, maybe... that it didn’t appear in any of the older records?”
...So it probably doesn’t exist.
‘Then again, if something’s out there eating people, it wouldn’t be left alone, would it?’
Ayun smacked her lips, savoring the lingering flavor of the walnut cake, and kept chatting with Hyeyeon.
...Maybe I ate too much.
By the time they arrived, her stomach felt heavy.
The siblings both looked at her like they’d seen it coming.
Feeling embarrassed, Ayun avoided their gazes, and Hyesung sighed before going into a convenience store and coming out with digestive medicine.
“...Thanks.”
“You should’ve paced yourself. We’ve still got the ride back.”
“....”
She didn’t have a real excuse, so she quietly unscrewed the cap and drank it down.
...Weird flavor.
It was too far for a same-day round trip, so they booked a room for the night.
It wasn’t peak season, so it wasn’t hard to find a place.
More than that, Ayun found herself wondering what Hyeyeon did, exactly.
If she were a student, it wouldn’t be easy to take off like this.
Maybe she was the same kind as her...?
She figured she’d ask once they got closer. For now, she helped settle into the room.
Well—technically, she didn’t have any luggage. Everything was brought by the siblings.
Once they unpacked, Hyesung said he was heading out to film a mukbang at a popular restaurant before it got dark.
A true professional.
The way he didn’t waste even a sliver of time was something Ayun figured was worth learning.
Looking out the window, the sky was gloomy.
The sun hadn’t set yet... but if Hyeyeon’s story was true, this was the perfect kind of weather to meet that so-called White Tiger.
...Still, she hoped it wouldn’t rain.
[Looks like there’s some kind of monster here too.]
Ignis’s voice rang out.
Ayun glanced around. Hyeyeon must’ve gone to the bathroom—she wasn’t around.
“Maybe... but ironically, that makes it less likely.”
[How so?]
“Unlike Entera, this place has decent law enforcement. If something like that really existed... it would’ve been exterminated already.”
[That’s true. People here do seem very peaceful.]
“It’s a good thing.”
Maybe that’s why people like Hyesung bring her along—to satisfy that itch for danger and excitement.
A world so peaceful, it needed artificial thrills.
A way to feel something extreme without ever leaving the safety of your room.
...Well, it’s thanks to that I have a way to make money.
But she still didn’t like it much.
Sitting in a room and acting like—
Ayun muttered to herself and gazed out the window.
She heard the bathroom door open—Hyeyeon stepped out.
She seemed to be giving Ayun a strange look.
“...What? Got something to say?”
Hyeyeon blinked and shook her head.
“Nope. Anyway, what do you want to wear? We’re heading into the mountain at night, so you should bundle up.”
...It felt a bit off, but if she said it wasn’t anything, what could Ayun do?
“Layer something light. A few layers should do.”
“Got it.”
New novel chapters are published on freewёbn૦νeɭ.com.
An awkward quiet settled between them as they waited for Hyesung to return.
The sun sank behind the mountain. The glow of dusk faded. Moonlight rose. Darkness fell.
Hyesung returned, rubbing his full belly.
He said he went to film a mukbang, but it looked like he’d had a feast.
Ayun couldn’t help thinking he might regret it later—just like she had.
She grabbed her bag and stepped out of the room.
They made their way, slowly, toward the mountain where the White Tiger was said to appear.
Even just the darkness made the place feel plenty creepy.
Even if the White Tiger didn’t show up, wouldn’t a wild animal pop out?
For someone like Hyesung, that might be more than enough.
Just before the climb began, Hyesung suddenly «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» stopped and turned back toward Ayun and Hyeyeon.
“You’re not coming up?”
“I want to try something before we start. I’m gonna start filming, so put your mask on.”
Ayun tilted her head but put her mask on anyway.
Hyeyeon looked puzzled too—seemed like she hadn’t been told either.
As soon as they pulled their masks on, Hyesung started his broadcast—launching into a familiar intro, one they’d gotten used to by now.
Then he revealed his true purpose.
“Okay, folks. Before we go up, we’re gonna do a little Bunshinsaba to ask whether the White Tiger is real or not. Exciting, right?”
...Bunshinsaba?
Ayun tilted her head again, and Hyeyeon leaned in to whisper the explanation.
Listening, she remembered hearing about it as a kid.
...Wait, more spirit summoning?
Seriously, what is this guy’s obsession with necromancy?
___________
TL Note:
Bunshinsaba - It’s a South Korean spirit-summoning game—essentially the equivalent of the Western Ouija board, but in a much creepier, school-based format. It’s one of the most well-known ghost-invoking rituals among Korean students.
