“Oh, you’re right.”
Sa-yoon and Shin-jae simultaneously turned their gaze toward a specific spot. Beyond the table stood a door lined with fluorescent tape. Next to it, an old cabinet stood conspicuously alone. It was the perfect size for someone to hide in—anyone could tell at a glance. It seemed like yet another surprise element, just like the table. Sound effects, wind machines, tricks, and even hidden staff members. The quality wasn’t top-tier, but it was well put together.
“That must be it.”
“Looks like it.”
With their destination decided, the two moved as if they shared one body. As they walked toward the cabinet, Sa-yoon glanced at the table. It hadn’t moved an inch, despite hiding a fairly large man.
Now that’s professional. Sitting like that for so long must make your legs go numb. For the guy’s sake, they should hurry and get him out. With that thought, Sa-yoon stopped in front of the cabinet.
“It’s locked.”
It was a typical letter combination lock, the kind commonly found in escape rooms. The mechanism required a specific five-letter word to open.
So this is where that card comes into play. He lifted the sturdy lock and began turning the dials.
“Huh?”
He hit an obstacle right away—there was no ‘L’ for ‘LOVER.’ Thinking it might be reversed, he tried the last letter instead. But even there, ‘L’ was missing. And worse, there wasn’t even an ‘R.’
“Guess that’s not it.”
Maybe they had missed something in the dim lighting. Sa-yoon carefully scanned the room again.
The bookshelf with the wind effect, the pet fence that had given them the letter fragments, and the table where the ghost had jumped out. No matter how he looked at it, the only thing left to check was the table.
But he hesitated. If he went back there, the ghost underneath might pop out again… Even if it didn’t, it might still reach out and grab his ankle. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared about something like that and would’ve just gone back to search thoroughly.
But… he had seen Shin-jae get startled earlier. He didn’t want to make him jump again. Of course, it was possible that the ghost would pop out on a timer regardless, but still.
Would it be better to just go quickly by himself?
From a few steps away, Sa-yoon absentmindedly shone his flashlight at the table. The faint light swept across the props on top.
“The Lovers card was Adam and Eve, right?”
“Yeah.”
“There was a fruit basket over there earlier.”
“Yeah, there was.”
Thanks to all their rummaging, the fruit basket had been overturned, spilling its contents everywhere. Among the scattered fruits were bananas, grapes, tangerines, kiwis, and… an apple.
“The forbidden fruit?”
The two turned back and adjusted the combination lock.
[APPLE]
Click.
As the last letter fell into place, the metal lock clicked open with a satisfying sound. Judging by the setup, the key to the exit was likely inside.
Before opening the door, Sa-yoon gently nudged Shin-jae behind him.
“Hyung, close your eyes back there. If you get scared, hold onto me.”
Almost immediately, a firm arm wrapped around his waist. That wasn’t exactly where he’d meant for him to hold on… Just how scared was he?
This was karma. He had dragged a cowardly, six-years-younger kid into a place like this. He had no one to blame but himself.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, he felt the ticklish warmth of breath against the nape of his neck. A strange sensation crept up his spine, and on instinct, he yanked the door open without warning.
“AHHHHH!”
Right on cue, a woman in a white mourning dress burst out, screaming. It was such a textbook scare tactic that he didn’t even know how to react.
“Wow, respect for the effort.”
He clapped his hands, feeling the arms around his waist flinch slightly. The least he could do was acknowledge the hard work of the ghost, who had probably been cramped up in there for ages.
“Kyaaaaah…”
The woman let out another half-hearted scream before awkwardly stepping back, looking a little embarrassed.
Now that he got a good look at her face, Sa-yoon tilted his head. Her face was caked in flour, with thick black makeup smudged beneath her eyes, making her look more like a panda in mourning attire than a ghost. Even in the dim lighting, her makeup seemed a bit… rushed. It was especially noticeable in contrast to the much more realistic ghost from earlier.
Did they run out of time while doing her makeup? Or was each person responsible for their own?
As he pondered, the ghost stepped aside and positioned herself near the exit. Peering into the cabinet, Sa-yoon spotted a lacquered box tucked into the corner.
“Shin-jae, my waist.”
“Is she gone?”
“Yeah—no, she’s just standing next to the exit.”
A hesitant pat on the back of his hand, and the arms finally loosened. Sa-yoon bent down and picked up the wooden box. It was surprisingly heavy. When he opened the lid, an eerie music box tune played. So that’s why it weighed so much.
Inside, a small key sat nestled within.
With the key in hand, he approached the exit. The ghost, now standing with her hands neatly folded over her stomach, lifted both hands and pointed at the lock.
Click.
The heavy door swung open, revealing a staff member standing outside, holding out a slip of paper.
“Please take this to the front desk for check-in.”
On the paper, ‘717’ was scrawled in marker, with a small printed note at the bottom that read Practical Music Department as proof of completion.
“Let’s check in before we go.”
“I don’t think we’ll get first place.”
Sa-yoon agreed. But the promotional signboard standing outside had mentioned various other prizes besides first place.
“You never know. We might win a lucky draw and get free movie tickets or a meal voucher.”
“There were prizes like that?”
For someone who usually seemed indifferent to material things, Shin-jae suddenly looked eager. He even quickened his pace, glancing back at Sa-yoon as if urging him to hurry.
“They say greed for free stuff makes you go bald.”
“That’s not why! And for the record, I have plenty of hair.”
“Yeah, I can tell just by looking.”
Proudly, Shin-jae lowered his head slightly, almost like a big puppy showing off. Amused, Sa-yoon reached out and ruffled his hair a few times. But Shin-jae, not getting the reaction he wanted, pulled away with a slightly dissatisfied look.
“Were you really scared?”
“Not really.”
Even as he answered with a sulky expression, it was obvious. He had been terrified and was only denying it now. The way he tried to save face made him look no older than five. Sa-yoon let out a quiet chuckle.
“But, you know, the cabinet was a lot bigger. Wouldn’t it make more sense for the bigger guy to hide in there?”
The woman who had guided them to the exit barely reached Sa-yoon’s collarbone. In contrast, the man who had jumped out from under the table had seemed about the same height as Sa-yoon himself.
“I don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“When did you even get a good look at them? I… I barely saw anything.”
Sa-yoon bit his lip, trying to hold back a laugh. Now that he thought about it, it made sense. Whenever something popped out, Shin-jae had been too busy covering his eyes behind Sa-yoon.
“Aww, did you get really scared?”
“It wasn’t fear. I just got startled. If they hadn’t jumped out like that, I wouldn’t have reacted. I didn’t expect it to be that kind of thing.”
Right, he had said he’d never been to a haunted house before.
“That’s the whole point, to scare people like that.”
“I seriously don’t get scared of ghosts. I mean it.”
“Ohhh, our brave little Shin-jae. As long as they don’t jump out at you.”
“Hyung!”
Shin-jae’s eyelashes fluttered in frustration. The way he reacted only made Sa-yoon want to tease him more, and it seemed Shin-jae had no idea. When Sa-yoon finally burst into laughter, Shin-jae scowled, looking both embarrassed and indignant.
Still, their playful banter made the walk to the check-in desk pass quickly.
“Please provide your department, student ID number, and name. We’ll contact the winners after the festival ends.”
Sa-yoon obediently handed over his information but couldn’t help asking something that had been on his mind.
“By the way, the first ghost we saw had really good makeup. Do you know who did it?”
“Oh, you mean the one in the mourning dress?”
“No, not her—the one hiding under the table.”
“…Excuse me? Under the table?”
The staff member tilted his head, looking genuinely confused.
“You mean the woman in the mourning dress, right?”
“No, the other one. The one with special lenses and the long scar on his cheek.”
“But… there’s only one ghost inside.”
Just then, a cold breeze swept past them. The chill brushed against their skin.
“…I must’ve been mistaken.”
“Oh… right.”
Sa-yoon gave a slight bow and scratched the back of his neck as he turned to leave. Neither of them spoke as they walked away from the haunted house. When he stole a glance at Shin-jae, his face was as pale as a sheet.
Shit. He’s not gonna be able to sleep tonight, is he…
“Wow, I guess this is their concept now—keeping the fear going until the very end.”
“…Seriously?”
Shin-jae turned to him with eyes that looked like he might cry any second. Sa-yoon quickly nodded.
“Yeah, I heard some small theaters do this kind of thing to keep audiences immersed. Smart idea, really.”
“…Ah… Yeah, that makes sense.”
Shin-jae’s expression finally eased a little, and he ran a hand over his face a few times. Meanwhile, people started crowding the path from the opposite direction, pushing and brushing past them.
“Shin-jae, come here.”
With the fireworks show about to start, the streets had become even more packed. The festival booths lining both sides made the path narrower than usual, yet the number of people had only increased. It was nearly impossible to walk side by side.
The moment Sa-yoon extended his hand, Shin-jae grabbed it without hesitation. He must’ve assumed, after the haunted house, that Sa-yoon meant for him to hold on again. Since they were in such a crowded area, Sa-yoon decided to just go with it until they got through.
“Why are there so many people?”
“They invited DIVE this year.”
“Oh, right.”
The festival lineup had been so extravagant that people had joked on the school’s community boards about the university going bankrupt next semester. With such a major guest, it was no surprise that tons of outsiders had shown up. The passing crowd included people of all ages.
Considering the hilly terrain of the campus, all the good viewing spots were bound to be swarming with people. Shin-jae’s face, already pale from the haunted house, was turning even whiter.
“Shin-jae.”
Sa-yoon gave his hand a gentle tug, and he followed without resistance. With all the noise from the crowd, Sa-yoon leaned in close to Shin-jae’s ear and murmured,
“Want to go somewhere quieter?”
‘DIVE’ as in ive?