A soft tapping sound echoed in apartment seventeen on the third floor in apartment block b on a late Sunday morning. The sound bounced off the walls until it funneled down the hall towards the tenant’s bedroom. The tenant was sleeping soundly when the sound began. As the noise continued it began to disrupt the sleep of the tenant. The tapping sound stretched into long mechanical groans. The tenant flipped over in her bed trying hard not to wake up. The sound persisted until the tenant got out of her bed to investigate.

Soomin stumbled down the hallway blinded by eye boogers. The noises that forced her from bed became louder as she exited the hallway. She grumbled as she tried to stand swaying slightly. A deep groan waivered around Soomin as it joined the tapping sound. Goosebumps broke out along her arms and she slowly opened her eyes. Soomin’s wide eyes looked around her apartment carefully searching. A loud pop sent her sprinting for her door. She threw it open running to her neighbor’s pounding intently on the door.

 

Taeil cursed under his breath as he threw the covers back.

“Zico,” He yelled as he walked towards the door, “Buy some damn sugar!”

He pulled the door open to see Soomin looking nervously down the hall.

“Woah, what’s wrong?” Taeil reached out a hand towards her.  

“Uh…haha,” Soomin looked at him with wide eyes, “Evil spirit.”

He felt his jaw slowly drop, “What?”

 “Weird sounds…like a person’s voice…coming from inside my apartment…so creepy.”

Taeil’s mouth slowly formed into a smile and he started laughing. It started softly then worked into a hearty laugh.

“Shut up!” Soomin pushed him lightly backwards.

“Haha, sorry,” He chuckled, “you just said your apartment is haunted by a ghost.”

“Okay, fine, you come and listen to the sound and tell me what it is.”

Taeil held his hands up, “Alright, alright.”

He slipped on a pair of shoes closing his door behind him. Soomin watched him waiting for him to move.

“Are we going?” He looked at her.

“After you.”

Taeil sighed walking towards her apartment. The door was open about half way. The apartment was eerily dark. He blinked at the creepy setting trying to force himself inside. Taeil forced himself to relax before stepping inside, can’t be a wimp in front of Soomin. The apartment was silent as he removed his shoes. He did it slowly hoping if something was going to happen it would do so while he was wearing shoes. He stepped up his socks touching her apartment floor. Taeil let air fill his cheeks puffing them out. Soomin had come quietly up behind him. She saw his puffy cheeks and reached a hand around squeezing them.

Taeil jumped, “Wha?”

Soomin laughed as she watched him throw himself backwards towards her door.

“You scared me!” He frowned at her.

“Haha, you don’t say.”

He cleared his throat, “Well, I d-don’t hear anything so it must have been you imagination or something.”

“You barely stepped inside. Are you scared?”

“No…what about you coming and saying there’s an evil spirit in your apartment?”

While the two argued the tapping began again softly echoing off the walls. It was soon accompanied by the groaning sound.

“Do you hear that?” Soomin put a hand up for Taeil to stop talking.

Taeil’s eyes got wide as the sound grew louder. The groaning was less consistent than the tapping only occurring for several seconds.

“Haha, kind of sounds like it’s saying something…ha…” Taeil looked at Soomin who’s face mirrored his panic. “B-but it could be a pipe…maybe P.O knows what it is? Let’s call him.”

“My phone is in my bedroom…” Soomin looked towards the darkness of the apartment.

“Mine’s next door,” Taeil pointed at the door, “Where there are no creepy sounds.”

“Soooo…let’s use yours?”

Soomin and Taeil looked at each other briefly before running out of her apartment. She beat him there pushing his door open quickly getting inside. He ran in behind her closing the door trying to put as much between them and the sounds. After pulling his shoes off he found his phone and called P.O.

Soomin sat on Taeil’s couch staring at the ceiling. Taeil was pacing near the door while they waited for P.O. There was a knock then P.O opened the door. They ran towards at P.O smiling.

“Woah,” P.O tried to back away from them. “What’s going on? Something about a pipe?”

“No…evil spirit,” Soomin tried to motion what a ghost look like by frowning and holding her hands up wiggling her whole body.

P.O laughed, “What?”

“No, it’s not a ghost…it’s a pipe…I think.” Taeil waved dismissively.

Soomin rolled her eyes as she pulled P.O out towards her apartment. When they got close to her apartment she pushed P.O in front of her. He looked behind him at her questioningly.

“It’s creepy.”

P.O chuckled then walked in. Soomin watched P.O walk back out almost as soon as he walked in.

“Well…that ghost sure is loud, but it can’t be fixed so…you’ll just have to live with it. Good luck.”

Soomin stared at P.O in disbelief, “What?”

“Yeah, sorry ghost banishment isn’t part of landlord duties. You’ll have to pay for that yourself.”

P.O started to walk away.

“Get back here!”

“Not qualified, but Zico is a certified exorcist. Feel free to call him.” P.O shouted back as he continued walking.

Soomin stared after P.O with her jaw hanging open.

“Zico’s still working a grave yard shift…he won’t be free for awhile.” Taeil spoke up.

“Son of a…” Soomin frowned. “Thanks for your help but I think I know someone who can solve this problem.”

Taeil laughed, “Good ‘cause I’m not going in there again.”

She sighed, “Thanks for you help anyway…”

 

Soomin walked down the hall towards the elevator. She was headed for the fifth floor. I’ll just ask the most logical person I know. As she turned a corner she saw Jaehyo looking from side to side scratching his head.

“Hi,” Soomin called to him.

“Huh? Oh, hi…” He looked at her confused.

“Is something wrong?”

“Uh…well, I can’t find my apartment.”

Soomin snorted, “What?”

“I went to my apartment number but the key doesn’t work.”

“What floor do you live on?”

“The second.”

“You’re on the third.”

“Oh!” Jaehyo’s eyes went wide. “That explains a lot.”

“Haha, yeah,” Soomin eyed Jaehyo. “Could you come with me for just a few minutes?”

“Sure,” He replied suspiciously.

“There is this weird sound coming from my apartment and it…well…I can’t figure it out. Maybe you can?”

“I’ll try to help.”

Soomin walked Jaehyo to her apartment. He watched her stop at the door and turn to him.

“It’s pretty loud you should be able to hear it once you step inside.”

“You’re not coming?”

“Um…it’s a little loud, it hurts my ears…”

Jaehyo looked confused then concerned, “Okay…I’ll be right back.”

Soomin smiled weakly as he stepped into her apartment. Wow…way to freak him out. She leaned towards the door to see if she could hear anything. It was silent then a scream reached her ears as Jaehyo came running out. He didn’t even stop to say anything to her. She watched him disappear around the corner. Soomin looked back at her apartment and frowned so deeply it hurt her face. She threw her head back and sighed loudly. Something brushed her cheek making her jump. Yukwon had snuck up behind her. He blinked curiously at her.

“Woah! Where did you come from?”

He smiled brightly at her, “I was looking for a vending machine…and the elevator refused to take me to the first floor so I got off here hoping to find one, but I found you instead!”

Soomin laughed at his bright attitude, Maybe he can shine that brightness on my apartment and scare away the ghost?

“I am having a problem…with…my apartment. Mind taking a look?”

“Sure!” Yukwon continued smiling, “What’s up?”

“Uh…if you go in there, I think you’ll understand.”

“Okay, do you want to show me where the problem is?” He held out his hand to her.

Soomin laughed triumphantly in her head, I get to hold his hand…in my haunted apartment. The urge to run away from her apartment fought with the urge to hold Yukwon’s hand. She took his hand before her legs decided to run away. He walked in before her. There was a soft tapping sound disappeared as they enter the apartment. Yukwon pulled her into the kitchen. It was very quiet in her apartment.

He looked at her, “Everything looks okay.”

“That is so weird…”

“Was it in here or some other room?” He let go of her hand and walked down the hall towards her bedroom.

The tapping sound returned followed by the groaning. Soomin eyes grew wide once again.

“Yukwon…” Soomin could hear the panic in her voice.

“Yeah, coming.”

As Yukwon walked back down the hall towards her the sounds faded. He stood in front of a confused Soomin.

“Did you see something?”

“No, it’s just a weird sound, but every time you come into the room it stops.”

Yukwon nodded like he heard her but didn’t comprehend.

“Sooooo…just stay here forever and keep the creepy sounds at bay?” Soomin laughed awkwardly, “That sounded way crazier that I meant it.”

Yukwon smirked knowingly, “Sounds like you were just trying to get me alone.”

“What?”

He stepped closer taking her chin in his hand tilting her head up rubbing their noses together, “I would take that as a compliment if I hadn’t heard about Zico and P.O.”

Yukwon pulled away, “See you later, Soomin.”

Soomin stood in her apartment and swallowed loudly. The tapping and groaning grew steadily nosier as she stood there. She wasn’t completely aware of it as she slowly walked out of her apartment. What the hell just happened? Soomin kept walking until she reached the elevator where she pushed the button. She got on to it still thinking about Yukwon. It wasn’t until she was standing in front of Minhyuk’s door that she came back to reality. When did I…How did I…? She shook her head and knocked on his door. Minhyuk pulled the door open to see Soomin with pinched eyebrows waiting for him.

“How can I help you today?” Minhyuk smirked wondering what could have happen in the last 24 hours.

“Ghost in my apartment…”

Minhyuk felt cynicism fill his face and mind, “Really?”

“Don’t give me that are-you-stupid look…though I kind of need that right now.”

“Well, you did just say there is a ghost in your apartment, what kind of reaction did you expect from me?”

Soomin blew air out her lips letting them vibrate off each other, “It is exactly what I expected so come to my apartment and tell me what it actually is.”

“Yeah, I don’t think you need my detecting skills to help you logically process what it actually going on in your apartment.”

“I have asked 4 other people what it could be they all had nothing helpful to add.”

Minhyuk sighed, “Let me put my shoes on.”

 

Soomin stood behind Minhyuk holding his arm as they enter her apartment. She felt like she was using him as a human shield.

“Stop using me as a shield. There is nothing that is going to hurt you.” Minhyuk spoke to her thoughts.

The tapping and groaning were echoing loudly around her apartment. Yup, nope, not coming out from behind you.

“Can you not hear that?”

Minhyuk looked over his shoulder at her, “What are you talking about?”

Soomin stood up letting go of him, “Are you serious?”

“I can’t hear anything. I’m not sure why you’re freaking out.”

“Really? You can’t hear that tapping?”

He shook his head, “No.”

“You can’t hear that weird groaning that sounds like a voice?”

“No.”

Soomin stared at him dumbfounded. She watched him walk around trying to figure out why he wasn’t hearing it. Minhyuk opened a cabinet in her kitchen then walked around her living room. When he was finished he walked back over to her.

“I still don’t hear anything.”

Her face scrunched up as her eyebrows pinched together again, What is going on?

A loud pop like the one that sent her running to Taeil’s earlier that morning made Minhyuk flinch. Soomin’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

“Yah! Yah!” She pointed a finger at him. “I saw that.”

“What?” He shrugged in confusion.

“I saw you flinch. You do hear it.”

He pushed her finger away, “It’s rude to point.”
“No, no. Don’t change the subject. You heard it, you hear it.”

“Heard what?”

“Don’t play this game with me!”

“I’m not pla-”

Another loud pop made Minhyuk jump.

“Damn it.” He swung around looking for the source of the sound.  

“Knock, knock!”

Soomin looked around for the new voice. Zico stood in the doorway pulling his shoes off. He was wearing a black and gray work uniform. Oooh, a some-what professional looking Zico...not bad…

“P.O left me a really weird message. What is going on?” Zico asked as he crossed the room.

“Uh,” Soomin glanced around for Minhyuk but couldn’t see him, “I’m pretty sure there is a ghost in here.”

Zico’s face expanded as he began howling with laughter, “What?”

Soomin caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Minhyuk was sneaking out the door. She watched him look back at her as he paused at the doorway. An expression crossed his face, one that she could either identify as longing or thoughtfulness.

“What did you just say?” Zico asked wiping at an invisible tear.

“I said…” Soomin was still thinking about how Minhyuk looked as he left, “Uh…I said…there’s a ghost in here.”

He cleared his throat looking at her seriously, “I’m a trained professional. I can help yo-”

“Good…then do it.” She interrupted him.

“Alright do you have paper and a pen?”

“Yeah, hold on…”

Soomin walked around her apartment and returned with the requested items. Zico took the pen and began writing on the paper. The sounds faded off then abruptly started up again. She peered over his shoulder impatiently trying to figure out what was going on. There were random, incoherent scribbles on the paper.

“What the is that?” Soomin’s voice was devoid of emotion.

He looked back at her, “This is a spell to banish the ghost.”

“Sure it is.”

Zico scribbled on the paper for a little longer before standing up. He took the paper and walked into her living room. The paper slipped between his fingers slowly drifting to the floor.

When the paper touched the floor, Zico yelled, “Be gone spirit!”

The sounds continued despite his attempts. Soomin snorted as the groaning grew louder than it had been before. Zico picked the paper up and walked into the kitchen. He held the paper up with one hand and closed his eyes.

“Spirit, leave this place!” He smacked his other hand on top of the paper against the fridge.

Abrupt silence made Soomin gasp. No tapping, no groaning. Her apartment was quiet except for the sound of Zico walking towards her crumpling the paper.

“How did you do that?”

“It’s a secret.” Zico smirked, “Now for my payment.”

“What?” Soomin felt herself step backwards.

“Yeah, I charge for exorcisms.”

“How much?”

“One good .”

Soomin scoffed, “Get out of here.”

“Just teasing,” Zico laughed lightly, “A kiss…like the one from yesterday morning.”

She listened to the silence for moment before answering, “I can do that.”

 

 

The daejang sat in her kitchen going through her records for the third floor apartments. She opened the file for apartment seventeen and glanced over it. After taking a sip of hot coffee she grabbed a piece of paper writing some notes for her grandnephew.

“Jihoon! Come here.”

P.O walked into the kitchen yawning, “Hmmm, yeah?”

“We need to order a new fridge for apartment seventeen. I’m sure it’s about to die, if it hasn’t already.”