I Returned, and Now I See Strange Things-Chapter 18: A Single Question

The moonlight was faint, perhaps because the sky was thick with clouds.

Click. A sharp sound, and a strong light flared on.

Click. Another click, and the brightness softened to a gentle glow.

The beam of a weak flashlight illuminated a stark white sheet of paper laid on a bench.

A paper inscribed with something in red ink.

It was something Hyesung had prepared in advance for Bunshinsaba.

Sitting in front of the paper, Hyesung motioned for Ayun to come over.

Ayun, who had been watching him with a look of pure pity, flinched slightly and opened her mouth.

“...Me?”

“Yes, who else but you, noona?”

When Ayun glanced toward Hyeyeon, Hyesung shook his head firmly.

If just Ayun showing up on the stream already caused chaos, letting his younger sister Hyeyeon appear too... Hyesung had zero confidence he could control the fallout.

Well, he could clean it up if needed, but there was no reason to stir up unnecessary trouble. Since Ayun had already shown her face once, it was better to keep using her.

Seeing the stubborn look on Hyesung’s face, Ayun scratched her head and sat across from him.

“...So annoying.”

Satisfied, Hyesung nodded and handed the smartphone—serving as the camera—to Hyeyeon.

Would this actually work?

As Hyeyeon adjusted her posture, eyes gleaming with interest, Hyesung turned toward the camera and began explaining Bunshinsaba.

To cut out all the fluff and put it simply: it’s a basic summoning ritual that somehow made its way into Korea, origin unknown.

“There’s a Western version called the Ouija board, but some say Bunshinsaba is safer, you know? Then again, no one really knows the truth.”

Hyesung glanced at Ayun, clearly fishing for a reaction, but she simply yawned beneath her mask and dabbed at her teary eyes.

‘I didn’t expect much of a reaction since this was a last-minute segment, but still...’

Wasn’t this a bit too indifferent?

Then again, Hyesung was no stranger to situations like this.

It wasn’t his first time dealing with awkward or eccentric guests. With practiced ease, he smiled and let the moment pass smoothly.

“Well then, we’ve still got a mountain to climb, so let’s get started before it gets too late.”

“Mhm.”

Thank god she at least answers.

Sighing internally, Hyesung pulled out a red ink pen.

He placed the pen on the paper, which was scribbled with O’s, X’s, and various shapes.

Ayun, already familiar with the process, placed her hand over Hyesung’s without hesitation.

Softer than expected.

For a brief second, Hyesung glanced at Ayun, caught off guard by the sensation—then quickly came to his senses.

Hyeyeon was eyeing him with her lids half-lowered in suspicion.

“Ahem... Well then, let’s chant the spell, shall we?”

“...I have to do it too?”

“Uh... yeah, of course?”

Ayun flushed slightly, as if embarrassed.

That kind of expression actually suited her face better than her usual sharp demeanor.

Especially for Hyesung, who could imagine the face behind her mask.

He could almost feel warmth radiating from her hand.

...He cleared his throat again.

Hyeyeon’s stare was getting sharp.

“I’ll go first, so... just follow along starting with the second round.”

“...Got it.”

If she had refused, things would’ve gotten complicated—but her cooperation touched Hyesung just a little. He began the chant.

“Bunshinsaba... Bunshinsaba... please come forth... Bunshinsaba...”

Ayun, frowning with a hint of annoyance, finally spoke up.

“Bunshinsaba... Bunshinsaba... please come forth... Bunshinsaba...”

“Bun...shinsaba... Bunshinsaba... please... come forth... Bunshinsaba...”

On the stream—poor resolution and all—the boy and girl shared the pen, chanting over the paper in unison.

Hyesung spoke like it was second nature. Ayun muttered the words with a flushed face, clearly self-conscious.

It looked a bit... odd.

Unaware of how this looked, Hyesung was caught in a hopeful thought—maybe something would be summoned.

Meanwhile, his friends and stream mods back home were the ones truly suffering.

As chat comments crossed the line and got slashed by moderators—

—the pen, which had been still, began to move with a faint scrape.

From beneath the paper, the wooden bench made a dragging sound.

Skrrk... skrrk...

Startled, Hyesung asked, “Y-You’re not moving your hand, right?”

“...If I were moving, you think your hand would move too?”

“Yeah... good point.”

Even as they spoke, the pen continued to drag red lines across the paper.

But it didn’t seem to be writing anything coherent—no clear pattern.

As he puzzled over how to interpret it, Hyesung realized a basic mistake he’d made.

“...Now that I think about it, we didn’t ask a question.”

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“...”

“...Ugh.”

Ayun silently stared at him. Hyeyeon sighed, clearly unimpressed by her older brother’s blunder.

She didn’t seem too happy about the buzzkill he’d brought to the otherwise suspenseful mood.

And Hyesung felt wronged.

Anyone would forget to ask a question if the pen started moving on its own!

The thought ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) that a ghost might be latched onto the pen sent a chill down his spine, but Ayun’s presence kept him grounded. Bracing himself, he asked the question he’d prepared.

“U-Um... would it be alright if we asked you some questions...?”

Skrrrk... skrrk...

At the same time as Hyesung’s hesitant question, the scraping noise returned.

The pen, which had been shifting around randomly, now slowly inched toward the ‘O’ on the page.

Seeing this, Hyesung looked at Ayun.

Her embarrassment was gone. She was now watching the pen with a serious expression.

‘...There really might be something here.’

He hadn’t expected such a flimsy ritual to produce results—but it was a welcome surprise. Especially since he had been sure the White Tiger was just an empty myth.

This alone would rake in views.

The pen started circling the ‘O’ on the page in slow, deliberate loops.

As if saying: “Hurry up and ask something.”

Its motion grew more urgent.

Skrrk! Skrrk! Skrrk!

A chill ran down Hyesung’s spine.

He was remembering the hide-and-seek ritual.

Nervously, he looked at Ayun—who only shrugged and said casually:

“What’re you waiting for? It’s ready. Ask your damn question and let’s get this over with.”

“A-Ah... right.”

Could Ayun see the ghost in the pen?

It was terrifying, but her calm presence somehow felt reassuring. Hyesung steadied himself.

He didn’t notice that one of Ayun’s eyes had changed color while she focused on the pen.

“U-Um... then... is there really a White Tiger living up on that mountain?”

SKRRRK! Skrrk!

The moment he asked, the pen jerked violently.

It scratched toward the ‘X’ with such force it seemed ready to tear the paper apart.

“U-Uhh...”

The pen followed the ‘X’, digging deep. Brown from the bench showed through the ripped page.

As if declaring it wouldn’t accept any further questions, the pen shredded the paper.

“...We should end it here.”

Still staring at the torn paper, Hyesung nodded furiously at Ayun’s words.

When he asked aloud if they could end the session, both of them released the pen at the same time.

Instead of rolling away, the pen stood upright for a moment...

...then collapsed with a soft thunk.

Hyesung quickly pulled out a lighter and set the paper on fire.

Red lines and tattered shapes turned to smoke, curling upward as the paper burned slowly and steadily.

He didn’t say a word while the sheet burned.

By now, Hyesung was starting to feel convinced—Ayun really had something going on.

Crackle. Crackle.

Filming the burning paper in silence, Hyeyeon murmured under her breath.

“...Holy shit.”

Ayun stared at the flames with a skeptical look in her eyes.

Hyesung, still dazed, only remembered they were streaming after the paper had completely burned away.

Dead air wasn’t great for a broadcast—but for some reason, he felt like keeping quiet had been the better choice.

Still, he snapped out of it and spoke.

“...Looks like there’s no White Tiger after all. So, I guess... no reason to climb the mountain, right?”

He could already guess what chat would say.

Things like “What the hell are you talking about,” “This is staged,” “Did you fall asleep or what”—it would be full of that crap.

After a beat, Hyesung let out an awkward laugh and added—

“...Or so I almost said.”

Ayun and Hyeyeon both gave him identical “you’re an idiot” looks.

But the chat was probably exploding right now, so Hyesung, satisfied, avoided their eyes.

“Well then... let’s head up the mountain.”

Picking up the flashlight he had set down, Hyesung started walking toward the trailhead.

Then he suddenly darted back and took the phone from Hyeyeon.

“...Almost forgot.”

He flipped the screen to avoid showing Hyeyeon and resumed his way toward the mountain.

Ayun and Hyeyeon, watching the lonely curve of his back, followed after him.

The clouds thickened, and the moonlight grew dimmer still.

Three faint shadows overlapped on the darkened mountain path.

The rustling of leaves.

The subtle presence of small animals in the brush.

An unfamiliar bird call echoed from somewhere deep in the woods.

The air was thick and wet with moisture—like rain might fall at any moment.

The three of them kept moving forward—relying on nothing but a single flashlight.

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