slippery slope, slippery road
Timeless
!!!!!
Tonight felt surprisingly short.
Don’t get Seungri wrong, the haunted place they went to today was legendary. Like historically legendary. Like all the hair on his body stood kind of legendary, but time flew when they were inside. They reached Yeongdeok Ghost House at around 4 pm, and in a blink of an eye, it’s suddenly almost 3 in the morning.
It probably because all the fun he had here.
Nope, you didn’t read that wrong. Seungri was having fun.
Not gonna lie, the chills already went down his spine when they were driving down the road leading to this place for how menacingly quiet it was. When they pulled up in the lot, he almost pleaded the rest to cancel this episode all together and go home because how eerie the vibe of the house gave out.
From his little investigation, Seungri found out that more than 700 soldiers that lost their lives during the battle of Incheon were allegedly buried here. He read about the original owner of this residence died of unnatural causes and so did the next few, and also about the curse the locals said this land had, and of course, about the demon that caused terror for anyone who came here, and all that combined were not helping his scaredy-cat heart.
It was natural for Seungri to be frightened at the beginning, to the point that Jiyong had to help him put on his strap-on camera chest by untangling the mess he anxiously created because he kept twisting the string to the point of no return before that.
The calmness rained down upon him just before the intro, all thanks to Jiyong. After correcting the position of Seungri’s chest camera that somehow went unnoticed, Jiyong tapped on his chest a few times and smiled as he muttered something that was equally as chilling as their surrounding and should make Seungri scared, but managed to make Seungri cracked up a smile.
“Nothing’s gonna happened to you, Ri.” Jiyong’s grin got teasingly freaky. “After all, I’m the only demon here.”
Seungri cleared his throat, interrupting their rather tender moment, not because he didn’t enjoy it but because he’s afraid that he might’ve enjoyed it too much that the people around them were gonna noticed the puppy eyes he had on every time he was smitten by Jiyong.
“You saw those comments too, huh?” Seungri asked, taking jabs at all the comical comments Jiyong often got on his Instagram account by the followers of the show, mostly claiming that the only reason Jiyong wasn’t dead yet because that man himself was a demon.
“Oh, you know, I read a few, not much, it’s not like there’s a billion of them or anything.”
Seungri chuckled. “Are you bothered by that?”
Jiyong shrugged as he stepped aside to face the cameras in front of them, but not too far, which Seungri was thankful for because whatever did he need more than Jiyong’s warmth on this chilly night?
“Honestly, I’m just honoured they think I’m a suitable candidate for demonic possession,” Jiyong said before turning back to him. “Are you bothered by that?”
“I am.”
“You do?”
Seungri nodded. “You’re not a demon. You’re more of a robot.”
Jiyong rolled his eyes at the same time Teddy asked them whether they were ready. They both nodded as confirmation.
“Whatever you say, bud. Humans, demons, robots— we’re nothing but specks of dust on a floating rock in vast empty space.”
“And that conclude our session of nihilism with Kwon Jiyong, folks. Tune in next week for more!” Seungri pointed at one of the camera.
Jiyong laughed but quickly turned to Jaeho. “You did not get that on camera!”
Jaeho in return could only raised his shoulder. “Pretty sure we told you the cameras are rolling.”
Seungri bursted out laughing. “What a perfect thing to say in the intro!” He proclaimed, clapping his hands while Jiyong could only shake his head in embarrassment.
The actual intro went smoother than ever then. Seungri noticed Jiyong didn’t interrupt him at all, not even once, and he couldn’t resist to comment on that.
“You’re awfully quiet tonight.”
“It’s our 50th episode— I wanna be respectful.”
Seungri hummed, faking an agreement but blurted out a contradicting statement. “Lemme tell you how respectful you’re gonna be. We’re gonna go upstairs and you’re gonna be silent for 2 minutes and then you’re gonna get bored and you’re gonna say “hey you demon s, come pick on my nose” or something.”
Jiyong grinned, showing no signs of denying that.
“What do you think about this place, by the way?”
“Are we buying this house?”
Seungri didn’t have to fake his laugh at that reply, however.
“—cause you know, I’m game.”
“No, you little , just how do you feel now in this place in general?”
Jiyong’s eyes wandered around the room. His face was serious again, and this time it’s a little too much even for the camera. As he did, a smile formed on his lips, making Seungri giggled again, somehow already kinda knew what’s Jiyong’s answer gonna be. “I feel very welcomed here.”
“Of course you are. You’re already at peace with your demon brothers here.” Seungri retorted, smiling to the camera.
Jiyong laughed humourlessly. “You’re funny. And you’re right, Ri, they told me you should've bring your holy water here.”
“I don’t need that. You and your red hair will protect me—“
They suddenly heard a thump sound coming from upstairs, sounded like something fell on the floor. All of them, including the camera crews look up instantaneously before exchanging glances at each other.
Seungri turned ashen. His courage flew out the window.
“See? They’re mad at you.” Jiyong raised his eyebrows at him, taunting him.
“ you, Ji.”
Walking out the camera frame, Jiyong replied emotionlessly, “famous last words, there, buddy.”
“Wait, where are you going— don’t leave me, god, I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” Jiyong answered off camera.
Sighing to himself, Seungri whispered bitterly to himself as he trailed on Jiyong’s steps, “no, I don’t.”
*****
It was smooth sailing after that.
Seungri laughed when they went upstairs and picked up something on the EVP but because it was impossible to understand, Jiyong snatched the screaming radio to scream back at it.
“What did you say to me?! Speak up!” There was only statics that followed but Jiyong wasn’t finished. “That’s what I thought! Cowards! Cowards, all of you!”
Seungri was still having fun when they got back down and conducted a flashlight session in the kitchen. Fear did struck his heart because the flashlight did and off, reminding him of the horror of Geonjiam, but seeing how calm Jiyong was being then, he cooled down too.
It was all fun and giggle, until they reached the stairs that led to the basement. It was at that point that something —Seungri didn’t know what— shifted and the terrifying vibe he managed numbed down this whole night was back, now more stronger than ever.
Jiyong’s fingers has magic worn off, Seungri thought. Maybe. Maybe there’s never even magic at all, Seungri was just excited that Jiyong touched him. Seungri sighed and closed his distance to Jiyong until they’re pretty much shoulder to shoulder in front of the stairs.
“This is Satan’s cement butthole.” Jiyong remarked as he shone his light at the already opened door at the bottom of the stairs, lightened up a part of the floor in the room.
Jesus. “Does this lead straight to hell?”
Jiyong smiled coyly, leading the way to enter that hellhole. “Let’s find out.”
The stairs was made out of wood and it creaked with every step they took. Walking inside the basement, Seungri noticed though it was the size of the kitchen but felt bigger, probably because there’s no furniture placed in there. They stopped in the middle of the room. Seungri pointed his flashlight at every corner and saw nothing but a few pieces of old wood and scraps.
“Is there any story here?” Jiyong suddenly asked, didn’t even bother to move his flashlight around.
“None that I can recall.”
No one said anything anymore and for a moment there’s only their unsynchronised breathings echoing within the room.
“Ji, what do you think we should do here?”
Jiyong didn’t answer him.
Seungri turned to his side and watched as Jiyong’s eyes trailed off to the side, like he was tracking movement. It sent shivers down Seungri’s spine and the hairs at the back of his neck stood up as he looked at to were Jiyong was stopping to stare.
There’s nothing there, only darkness, but he’s afraid to swing to his flashlight in that particular direction. He’s afraid he actually might saw something. “Dude, what—“
Seungri’s question was cut abruptly when something that sounded like footsteps echoed overhead. They both look up and Seungri barely stopped himself from reaching out to grab on Jiyong’s arm. “You heard that, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What the ?”
Jiyong finally looked back at him, his face blank, his eyes were unconcerned. “We should do three minutes alone in here.”
“Dude, did you not just hear someone walking above us?”
Jiyong shrugged. “Old buildings make noise. Could be rats.”
“Rats don’t wear boots, Ji!” Seungri hissed.
“Well, take Jaeho there and investigate it yourself, then. I’m doing an alone session here.”
The inherent fear that Seungri felt is doing battle in his brain with his anger over Jiyong’s ignorance and insistence of not admitting over something that happened just in front of their faces.
“Seriously?”
“Come on. Three minutes alone.”
“Fine,” Seungri said and threw his hands up in the air. “You just in’... sit in here and talk to the demon. Don’t come crying to me when it eats your face.”
Jiyong only rolled his eyes.
Everyone except Jiyong left the room then. Seungri managed to steal one last glance at Jiyong, who was now back at staring at that same corner earlier. He could only sighed before closing the door.
Seungri knew, logically, Jiyong wasn’t scared of anything on the planet except for maybe his mother, but Seungri didn’t like the idea of wandering far from him when they do these solo sessions, especially not at this place, especially not with what just happened earlier.
In the span of more than three goddamn years they had been doing this, they encountered so many strange sounds along their investigations, but it was never that clear. The footsteps they heard earlier was clear as day to the point that no one could deny it and somehow Seungri knew that Jiyong felt the same too but he just wouldn’t say it.
Seungri paced in front of the door, not joining of the rest of the crew that took this time to chill on the stairs and kept checking his phone for the time.
Tonight was surprisingly short, alright, but as Seungri was waiting, three minutes sure felt like forever. It was hellish and his legs were tired from the relentless moving so Seungri leaned against the wall, resting and at the same time, eavesdropping on Jiyong’s voice from behind the wall.
Jiyong wasn’t yelling or being obnoxious or anything else to drive Seungri more insane. He sounded like he was actually trying to interact, asking questions and waiting on responses that didn’t come or could only be heard later during editing.
Seungri checked the time again and pushed himself off the wall to go hover at the door. The low murmur of Jiyong’s voice was odd in the stillness of the night. The whole place was creepy, but listening to that man having a one-sided conversation, just out of sight, somehow made it worse. He leaned in closer, his left ear practically on the door now, listening to Jiyong but failed to make out the words.
Jiyong inside paused and at that very next moment, Seungri swore on God that he could hear another voice responded. Every inch of his body prickled with instant crippling fear. Unable to think of anything else, Seungri scrambled to the door handle, flung the door open and swinged his
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