For the living, the world is already a scary place. But when half of the world’s population is unaware of its true danger, that’s the scariest. The truth is: the dead can return to the world of the living if they kill the living. 

Even at the young age of 22, Youngtaek has seen what ghosts can do; who they are, were, and have become. But alas, half the world wouldn’t believe him and he would have no way of proving it, physically. 

Youngtaek has been making a living as an exorcist since 16. Three years later after he lost his parents in a fire due to faulty wires. Or at least that’s what is written in the hospital records and was what the detectives and doctors believed happened. However, the truth haunts Youngtaek every day. Not only did he know what occurred, he saw it with his own eyes. 

His fragile and sickly father was like a stranger and had set the house ablaze, his mother still lying in their bed. By the time Youngtaek caught a glimpse of his father pinning her down at the arms, the room was engulfed in tall flames. Her being conscious, kicking, and screaming for help that never came devastated Youngtaek to the core. 

Even to this day, he blames himself for it. For freezing up when she needed him most. 

Their deaths brought him unexplained grief and rage. Grief—he’d lost his mother, his supporter, and reason to thrive. Rage—his mother was alive when smothered by the smoke and her obviously insane husband. Someone she had cared for and tried to nurse back to good health. 

The rage, however, didn’t set in until after his father’s coffin was lowered into the ground. After he couldn’t stop thinking about how different his father looked and was just before the incident. The man’s skin had turned blue and when he fought to pin her down, there was a blur in his movements. He was sobbing and apologizing.

Youngtaek’s father would never do something he’d be sorry for. And he would never kill his wife. Nothing added up in the few hours before their deaths, just like nothing was adding up now. 

Currently, Youngtaek finds himself in the back of a police car. Half an hour ago he was arrested as a murder suspect. 

It’s midnight and Youngtaek curses himself for not getting enough sleep last night. If only he had known he would be dealing with this, he wouldn’t stay up until 9 AM playing League of Legends and getting only an hour of sleep before meeting with his client at noon. Because the dim and dullness of the interrogation room is putting him to sleep and he can’t possibly function with such low energy. But from behind the one-way glass window comes a knock; one that immediately washes away his drowsiness. 

Sitting alone, he’s reminded that it’s not the first time he’s been brought in for interrogations but it can always be his last if he’s intimidated and outsmarted. Quietly, Youngtaek plays with the rings around his forefinger and thumb as he waits patiently for something to happen. 

His patience pays off after a few more minutes when he hears the door behind him open. However, he pays no mind as whoever entered will quickly show themselves. No one likes the interrogation room, not the suspects and not the detectives. It’s a theater about conscience, endurance, and willpower and one can only play mind games for so long. 

Across from Youngtaek, a woman sets her laptop and papers down on the metal table then pushes some of her inky, shoulder-length hair behind her left ear. “Mr. Son Youngtaek… Would you like a cup of water before we begin?” she asks without passion while pulling out the chair for herself. 

“I’m fine,” Youngtaek answers after a little staring. The detective is a beauty with pale smooth skin, attractive body proportions, and gorgeous fierce eyes. But it wasn’t her appearance Youngtaek was stuck on. It was the fact that she’s been tainted. 

“Mr. Son, I, homicide detective Jung Yein, am detaining you as a suspect for the murder of Seo Soo on October 22, 2020, at the victim’s apartment between the time of 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. You have the right to contact your lawyer or be provided one if you do not have one already. Do you understand?” 

“Yes.”

“Do you want to call a lawyer?” 

“No, I’m fine.” 

The detective wastes no and proceeds calmly, “You are not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say may and will be used against you here and in court. Do you understand?” 

“Yes.” 

He watches as the woman takes a deep breath then opens her white laptop.

“Mr. Son, where were you yesterday between 2 and 5 p.m.?” 

“I was home.” 

“Were you alone or with anyone else?” 

“No,” Youngtaek answers confidently, “I was alone.” 

“Does someone know or saw that you were home?” 

“No. On some nights my friend would stop by at the end of his shift but—”

The woman sighs softly, intertwines her fingers on the table, and looks him straight in the eyes, “Did you kill Seo Soo?” 

“No.” 

From the pile of paperwork, the detective pulls out a piece of paper and presents it to Youngtaek slowly but quickly. “This is Ms. Seo’s mobile history. This number here is yours, right?” 

Youngtaek leans forward to have a closer look at it. He nods, confirming it almost immediately. 

“I will need a verbal answer, Mr. Son.” 

“Yes, that’s my number.” 

“What is your relationship with Ms. Seo and why did she call you two weeks ago?” 

Youngtaek his lips as he can feel them drying up. “She was one of my clients. We stayed in touch after businesses because Ms. Seo relied on my advice.” 

“What kind of business and what kind of advice did you give?” 

Youngtaek tries to read the detective’s eyes first to determine whether she’s the trusty or cautious type, but he fails to read her and simply answers, “I’m an exorcist. Three years ago, I expelled the ghost trying to take over her body.” When he sees the corner of her lip twitch upward, he knows she’s going to give him a hard time. 

The woman scoffs in disbelief, shattering her own calm and collected persona, “You’re a con-artist, aren’t you?” Once her professionalism flew out the window so did Youngtaek’s reason to stay on topic.  

“I see it. You have it too, a ghost tattoo.” 

The blank expression on her face tells Youngtaek everything. She’s both taken aback and ready to treat him like a psychopath. Just like those that came before her. 

“Anyway. Ms. Seo was an orphan at a young age, a divorcee at the age of 19, and a widow at 32. According to her co-workers, she was insecure and kept to herself. Were you aware of her background before taking advantage of her?” 

Youngtaek shakes his head, “I’m aware of her history but I never took advantage of her. Soo was kind, gentle, and timid. She was a good person and I would never—”

“Were you aware that Ms. Seo saved voice recordings between the two of you on her phone? And the most interesting one happened three months ago.” 

Youngtaek frowns as this is news to him. Clearly, he had nothing to hide but couldn’t resist trying to remember what was discussed then. “Three months ago…?” 

“Do you remember? On August 12th at 9 a.m. Ms. Seo called you? In the recording, she said ‘I think she’s back’. Can you explain to me who Ms. Seo was referring to, Mr. Son? And why did she sound afraid?” 

The room falls silent for a long minute as Youngtaek leans against his chair and folds his arms, “Kang Suran,” he answers with a hint of regret in his voice. 

“Kang Suran? Who is that?” 

Youngtaek sighs, mainly to himself. As calmly as possible, he explains, “Kang Suran was the girlfriend of Seo Soo’s first husband who committed suicide 15 years ago.” When Detective Jung can only gaze into Youngtaek’s eyes, hers filled with curiosity and confusion, it urges him to continue, “Suran and her boyfriend had marriage plans after their high school graduation but Soo stole Suran’s boyfriend when she was roughly 18. At 19, Soo married Suran’s boyfriend; robbing and fulfilling Suran’s dream. On that same night, Suran drowned herself in the bathtub at her apartment. 

When Soo’s second husband fell sick three years ago, she took him out for a breather. They passed the apartment Suran used to live in and since then Soo had had nightmares of Suran. Three years ago Soo hired me to chase Suran’s spirit away. I thought Suran had crossed over but as you can hear from the recording, she hasn’t.” 

Youngtaek watches Detective Jung her lips; somewhat out of disbelief but mostly annoyed that he’s not taking the interrogation seriously. 

“You expect me to believe that?” 

“If you give me a chance, I’ll prove it to you.” He says confidently. 

“Prove what?” 

“Even if your feet are covered, you feel a strong breeze, don’t you? The breeze would be more aggressive at night.” 

The woman’s jaw lowers a little, “...how do you—?”

“Have you woken up at places you’ve never been to or seen before?” 

“...yes?” 

“And sometimes you lose control of your hands? Especially your right.” Detective Jung hums, rather gentler than when she was asking the questions. “You have it. A ghost tattoo.” 

Hovering over and out of Detective Jung’s right side is a phantom. The grayish woman looks like Detective Jung but is a spirit that only Youngtaek can see. With nothing but hollow, black eyes, Youngtaek immediately knows her as an angry ghost. 

“I don’t have tattoos—” Detective Jung begins only to be cut off by the only other person in the room. 

“Ghost tattoos aren't like normal tattoos. They're invisible to the eye and are marks made by extremely evil and powerful spirits that are in the process of devouring a human soul to possess the human body.” 

“What?” 

Youngtaek looks the spirit dead in the eye before his gaze wanders back to Detective Jung, “The ghost who’s marked you now possesses most of your body, particularly from the neck down. It’s the reason you sometimes lose control of your lower half.” 

“Is this your way of eluding questions about Ms. Seo? By creating and spreading nonsense?” 

Youngtaek scoffs. He can’t say he’s disappointed but he expected her to be smarter than her accusation, “I told you, I’m an exorcist and I didn’t kill Ms. Seo. I know about you losing control of your body and mind and I’ve also already explained who the ‘she’ from the recording is so if you have no hard evidence that I killed her then I’d like to leave.”

The detective doesn’t detain him as he was right. Except for the recordings that tied him to Ms. Seo, no crucial evidence has been discovered. 

Yet.

Outside the main entrance, Youngtaek gulps the cool fresh air then pockets his hands. For a split second, freedom has never tasted so good. 

“Hey, Mr. Son Youngtaek.” 

Youngtaek nearly trips down the steps when an unamused voice calls out to him. Spinning around on his heels he turns to face the lady detective. While she closes the gap between them with noiseless, soft strides, he wonders what else she could possibly want from him. Once she stops a few steps in front of him, with her hands also hidden in the pockets of her black bomber jacket, Youngtaek leans backward out of reflex.

Not because a beautiful woman was closing in on him but because of the ghost she carries. 

“How much do I have left?” She asks under a dubious whisper. 

Youngtaek blinks. Confused as to what she’s referring to. 

“...how much…?” 

“Time,” Detective Jung says sharply, “How much time do I have left?” 

It would be a lie to say Youngtaek isn’t relieved to hear Detective Jung ask him that. Before answering, he takes a small step back then straightens up, “72 hours at the most.” 

“And after 72 hours, what happens? I die?” 

Youngtaek shakes his head but his mute answer forces Detective Jung to send him rigorous eyes. She was dying to know what will follow once her body’s been taken over. 

“Worse, you vanish,” Youngtaek adds. 

He studies Detective Jung's growing mum. Any life in her face has faded and replaced with a look of sadness. The depressing mood made Youngtaek awkward so he helplessly asks, “I’m sure it’s bad news to hear you’ve got a spirit in you but you seem dispirited ha ha...ha…” 

Youngtaek closes his mouth and instantly feels bad when he sees Detective Jung’s pupils quiver. 

“Sorry for stopping you,” She apologizes out of the blue before making eye contact with him, “have a good night, Mr. Son.” Before Youngtaek could stop her, she’s got her back to him and is already making her way into the building. 

“Wait!” Youngtaek shouts after her, “I can help you!” 

Once she’s turned the corner, Youngtaek takes a deep breath and sighs in defeat. 

As Youngtaek drags his feet up to his apartment, his drowsiness made him oblivious to the barking dogs and his friend shouting his name. 

“Hey! Youngtaek, you jerk!” Running downhill to his side is a shorter man who pulls him awake at the arm, “Hey, what’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear me calling you?” 

Youngtaek cracks a weak smile when he realizes it’s Bae Seungmin. The friend that stops by after work on some nights. 

“What are you doing here, Seungmin?” 

The short but muscular lad hangs Youngtaek’s left arm over his shoulder then helps the man up the road. “What do you mean what am I doing here? Of course, I came to check on you when you didn’t answer your phone,” Seungmin says in between gulps of air. Although Youngtaek is a lot taller than him, he didn’t expect the man to be so much heavier too. 

“Wakey, wakey,” says a man as he pulls the blinds up and lets sunlight attack Youngtaek’s eyelids. 

The burning sensation flinches Youngtaek’s consciousness just as Seungmin planned it, but he doesn’t get out of bed. Instead, Youngtaek turned away from the window and smacked his lips before dozing off again. 

However, Seungmin refuses to let him sleep in and kicks him on the legs a few times. “Come on, wake up. Dinner’s ready.” 

Dinner!?

Youngtaek sits up immediately, “It’s dinner time already!?” 

Youngtaek frowns. A glance outside the window tells Youngtaek it’s hardly noon and Seungmin was only messing with him. 

“Just kidding but breakfast is on the table,” Seungmin says while suppressing his laughter with a cheeky smile. 

As Youngtaek gets out of bed and heads into the living room, he was busy wiping away eye boogers and didn’t see Seungmin judging him. Once he sat down across from Seungmin, the shorter male clicked his tongue. 

“What are you doing? Wash your hands first,” 

Youngtaek groans, then do as he’s told, “You’re becoming more and more like Soomin, you know that?” He asks as he reaches for the teal hand towel hanging on the stove’s handle. 

“What do you mean?” Seungmin asks while waiting for Youngtaek to join him so they could eat together. 

Back at the table, Youngtaek picks up his chopsticks and quickly digs in. He loves his breakfast hot or warm but never cold. After a big slurp and some chewing, Youngtaek swallows his food and gets back to Seungmin’s question.  

“You know, the nagging,” Youngtaek says as Seungmin takes a big bite himself. Youngtaek stirs his food with the chopsticks then added, “Just because you were twins, you needn’t act like her.” 

The room falls dangerously quiet for a moment as the topic of Soomin was always a painful one for them. Especially for Seungmin who was blamed and disowned for her death. 

“...Sorry…,” Seungmin says faintly. He hangs his head and his shoulders droop downward simultaneously. 

Youngtaek observes him for a short moment then tries to lighten him up with a clap to the shoulder, “I’m kidding. Let’s change the subject. Why did you call me yesterday? Something happened or you needed something?” 

Seungmin springs up slightly while asking, “Yesterday..?” 

Youngtaek hums, “We had no plans yesterday but you said you called.” 

“Ah, I heard what happened to Seo Soo on the news and I thought of you. She was your client, wasn’t she?” 

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel?”

“Sad, mostly for her. They say she was stabbed 26 times in her own apartment. Since her ex-husband moved to and has been living in Germany, I guess the police didn’t suspect him. Two weeks ago she called and wanted to meet. Said she felt under the weather or something was wrong with her. I saw her in person but aside from blue fingertips nothing was out of the ordinary.” Youngtaek explains. 

Seungmin blinks. To himself, he wished he was better at this ghost stuff with Youngtaek but his sister was and will always be the better consultant between the two of them, “...blue fingertips isn’t something out of the ordinary?” he asks as he doesn’t want to keep Youngtaek hanging. 

The one being questioned shakes his head, “Blue fingertips is more of a health than a paranormal issue,” 

Youngtaek stares off into space as he tries to recollect anything unusual. When he recalls nothing, he sighs in defeat. In the meantime as silence fills the void space between them something else comes to the exorcist’s mind, “Oh! The detective who interrogated me last night has it! I saw the ghost within her, she has a ghost tattoo!” 

“What!?” Seungmin almost choked on his food when Youngtaek got too excited. “Seriously!?” His eyes widen as he covers his mouth with his hands, in case he spits at the taller and older one. 

Youngtaek bobs his head quickly, in fact so fast that he made himself dizzy. After a few seconds of trying to steady himself, he then says, “Seriously. That phantom made it difficult to focus on her questions. It looks about a week old so I informed the detective she had about 72 hours left.”

“Informed? You didn’t offer to help her?” 

The one being questioned rises the corner of his lips and shakes his head, “I did...but I don’t think she heard me. Also, we agree I can’t make it my business anymore. I’m only allowed to tell them and if they need help, they’ll need to ask.” 

“We?” 

He blinks, “Yeah. Why?” 

“No, it was you and Soomin not you and me, we.” 

Youngtaek makes a silly face right away. “Ah, was it? My mistake,” 

The shorter man scoffs, “And you tell me not to act like her then mistake me for her. Get it together, Son Youngtaek.” 

Youngtaek ducks his head in an apologetic manner then let a few laughs escape him.