Seoul Object Story
Chapter 61: Gyeyangsan Relief Camp (1)

Who would’ve thought? That ghost kitty really had a knack for adventure, huh?

It was just like, “I’m off on an adventure!” and poof, it set off.

I knew that the kitty was a romanticist who really loved adventure, but I never really took its tales seriously… to think it would do something like this.

Hm…

It was pretty nifty at going into its phantom form, so I wasn’t too worried about it running into trouble. But you know, there might be other Objects out there that could harm ghostly Objects.

I feel a little worried. What to do, what to do?

Hmm, looks like I need to go after it.

To sneak a peek at the kitty’s grand adventure(and to have a bit of fun), I decided to tag along secretly.

Is it really heading to the ‘Gyeyangsan Relief Camp’?

Before I knew it, the cat was way past Seoul and gradually made its way to a place where the crowds thinned out.

Late at night, when the sun was all tucked in tightly and deep asleep, the kitty stopped and stared at this one spot.

It was this big, old ruined building, that lit up the sky like an everlasting bonfire.

My Object sense gave me the shivers; that fire was bad news, it was the kind that could even burn a ghostly Object.

…Wait a sec. The kitty’s not thinking of jumping in, is it?

***

I ditched Seoul in hoping for some heart-pounding adventure, but nyope, just your run-of-the-mill ruins, sleepy villages, and everyday life. My hopes and dreams were all crushed…

I mean come on! Can’t this esteemed cat catch a break? Yawn-!

I wandered aimlessly for a looooong time, but sniff there weren’t any good places!!

One, just one! Can’t I have at least one adventure before entering the camp!! Nyaaaa!!

But then—bam! There it was, a ruin that practically screamed, “Hey, you! Yes, you! Wanna go on an adventure?!”

The building was engulfed by flames that never stopped burning! The whole place was drenched in red fiery oil, and the oil burned brightly like blood while the smoky air made it hard to see.

This is it!

This was exactly what I was looking for!

Really dangerous at first glance and bursting with the vibes of exciting adventure.

And smack dab in the middle of the ruin was a red gem glowing all mysteriously. Treasure! Jackpot! I wanted something like that for so long!

If I get that gem, my adventure stories will level up!

Sniff I worked so hard… sniff b-but I never got a treasure in all of my previous adventures.

I crouched down low and snuck into the ruins that were full of flames. Through the smoke, I could vaguely make out these huge frogs that were as big as pigs!

Pig-sized frogs stood there oozing red oil!

But, eh, I just casually went closer to the building with my trusty phantom form as a shield. Like, what could they even do? They couldn’t even see me! Nyahaha

But as I went nearer I felt that the frogs… They were looking at me!

Huh?!

Scared shitles—Khmm, startled, I quickly hid behind some rubble.

Who would’ve thought these frogs could see ghostly Objects? It was completely out of the ordinary! Not my fault at all!

Looks like those big, shiny, stupid eyes of theirs are not just a decoration.

I crouched even lower and crept forward, hiding myself in the smoke rising from the burning oil.

Since these frogs had sharp eyesight, I took a route with lots of cover to stay out of their sight..

Slowly, sneakily(like a Ninja!), I circled the ruined building, getting closer to the jewel glowing in the center of the building.

After what felt like forever, I finally reached the jewel. It was right there, in an empty space, surrounded by thick smoke.

Yayyyyy! The Red Jewel! The One Piece! The reward of my adventure!

But, just as I thought my adventure was over, I saw something waiting for me in the clearing.

A giant frog loomed, peering through a smoky haze.

Sigh… I should’ve run away, of course.

But the treasure was right there, so close!

Hmph-! Then I will do it myself.

I proudly puffed out my chest and shouted—Come at me!

As if in response to my shout, the ground started trembling.

Flames and smoke swirled around the frog, and the sound of boiling oil rang out.

Dust rose from the shaking ruins like it was an ongoing earthquake.

Sob-! It’s so Scary!

But I gritted my teeth and held on, glaring at the damn frog other for a few moments.

Before long, the giant frog slowly turned back and backed away.

My courage and willpower had won! I defeated the monster!

As the frog retreated, the ground thumped, revealing a red necklace in the center of the clearing.

Hehehe~ I had found the red necklace, a treasure from an adventurous in the ruins of smoke and fire.

***

Oh! The cat hid way better than I expected.

Well, even if only ten percent of its stories were true, it should know how to do that.

It snuck around, hiding here and there, threw rocks to distract the frogs, and slowly moved towards my destination like a hero in an action drama.

Meanwhile, I chilled inside the building, watching the cat’s escapade like I was at the movies.

Sadly there was no popcorn, though. Only a frog balance ball and the aroma of oil.

Behind the curtain of fire and smoke that was nearly impossible for the cat to see through, I rolled around the puffed-up frogs, gathering them up, and jumped on one of the frogs that had blown itself up into a balloon!

Wheee! I plopped down on the frog, hooray!

Ah, that was so fun! So, I lined up the frogs and slid over them like an amusement park ride!

Balance ball-like frogs with a smooth and red oil that smelled like roses.

It was the perfect combination.

Sure, I got all drenched and covered in red oil, but it was so much fun.

A silly game with frogs who were supposed to guard the mansion from intruders.

“Oh, “What about the frogs that didn’t want to play?” They exploded for some reason. I really don’t know who did it, though!

Still, it seemed like the cat’s adventure might flop.

Hmm, then won’t it get scared and run away from its destination?

After all, there was a giant balance ball frog guarding in front of the jewel.

The cat reached its destination and looked at the giant frog with a desperaing expression.

But then, instead of running away like I expected, the cat did something totally surprising.

Meow! It shouted with fierce determination.

The frog, getting all mad at the cat’s provocation, puffed up its stomach like it was about to spit fire at any moment.

Although it was already inflated…

Pretty soon, it had shrunk again and shuffled away with pitiful steps.

Just like that, the cat’s grand adventure ended in success.

The cat, victorious over the giant frog, ran off with a jewel necklace around its neck and a happy grin on its face.

Ah, I can finally head back to the research institute now.

I thought so as I watched the cat that had been playing for a while now, come out of the building.

But the direction it headed wasn’t towards the research institute.

I really thought it would somehow head back to the lab since it had already enjoyed the adventure and even gotten a treasure from it!

***

Om nom nom-!

The Golden Reaper was munching on a cake.

Even while it stuffed its face, one of its tiny hands still clung to my little finger.

Ackkkk! Sooo cuuutteee!

The Golden Reaper never even tried to get away from people, even when it could.

“Yerin, you can’t stay anymore! You have to go to work now!”

Ugh, time flew so fast…

Feeling a bit regretful, I gave the Golden Reaper a quick pat once and got up.

The Golden Reaper had been placed in the Sehee Research Institute’s longue not too long ago. Why, you ask? Of course, it was because of the Gray Reaper’s usual antics.

It had gone missing—‘again’.

The Gray Reaper had escaped numerous times before, but this time it was a little different.

It had left something behind.

A tiny, adorable Golden Reaper.

The Gray Reaper had just left the Golden Reaper in the containment room like it was a stand-in for it.

But unlike the Gray Reaper, the Golden Reaper couldn’t stand being alone in the containment room.

Therefore, the lounge, where people hung out all the time, became the Golden Reaper’s new home.

The result was a resounding success!

The Golden Reaper loved life in the lounge, always looking so happy.

But the downside was that more and more people crowded into the lounge, so they had to limit the time you could spend with the Golden Reaper.

AHHHHH! A time limit?! Really?! Are you kidding me?!

The Sehee Research Institute should totally get rid of the time limit for using the Golden Reaper Lounge!

***

An eerie darkness fell over the camp, a darkness so infinitely dark and endless that it was as if the boundary between heaven and earth itself was blurred.

The night was completely different from the lively, bustling day.

Strangely enough, this gloomier version of the camp somehow felt more comfortable to me.

At least the atmosphere wasn’t creepy.

In the kind of silence that would usually be oppressive, I quietly woke up, leaning against the silence and darkness of the night.

Honestly, I should have left a long time ago. I should have pretended to be a tourist and slipped out during the day.

But I couldn’t.

I couldn’t leave thanks to this nagging feeling I had, the feeling that someone was watching me.

I got up slowly and took a careful step.

In the dark street with the streetlights off, only the sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the camp.

I tried to breathe as quietly and as little as possible.

It was so dark that I could barely see anything, but it didn’t matter. I knew this street like the back of my hand. I grew up here, after all.

All of a sudden, just as I was almost out of the camp, a light appeared in the distance.

“Noona, where have you been?”

“Noona, are you mad because I played a prank on you?”

Flashlights popped up everywhere.

Then, countless voices followed.

They were the voices of the people who remembered me and I remembered.

The butcher called my name, asking me to come in a friendly manner.

The new landlady looked for me, saying that she wanted to see my face at least once.

And my brother who remembered me and talked about his memories with me.

Hearing all those voices gave me goosebumps.

Those people weren’t the same people I knew.

What happened to my real brother?!

My heart pounded.

I felt dizzy, nauseous, and suffocated.

I couldn’t take it anymore and ran like crazy.

Even when I tripped and fell, I just got up and ran again.

I just kept running, desperate to get out of the camp as soon as possible.

***

The dawn sky shimmered with various colors.

At the break of day, a woman covered in dirt staggered into an old police station.

The weary policemen, having just finished their night shift, greeted her unenthusiastically, understandably so.

“I’m here to report a missing person.”

Although she was covered in dirt, scars, and even faint tear stains on her cheeks, she spoke clearly.

“It’s a child from the Gyeyangsan Relief Camp.’”

“Ah….”

The young police officer letting out a saddened sigh, handed the girl a piece of paper.

“A few days ago, the government announced that they would give up on managing that area. The situation hasn’t yet worsened to that point, so I don’t know why they decided to do that…”

The police wouldn’t take the case.

The woman, on the verge of screaming at the absurdity of it all, saw the regret on the policeman’s face and gave up.

He, too, looked regretful.

In such a ridiculous situation, the dejected woman walked out of the police station with tired, staggering steps.

“Isn’t it strange? A missing person’s report comes from near the camp, and yet there’s an official letter sent in advance as if predicting it to happen.”

“The association’s official documents have always been strange. If you want to live long, stop worrying about it.”

At the police station, a conversation about the odd situation ensued.

Meanwhile, the woman, who had been trudging helplessly, squatted by the front wall of the police station and lowered her head.

“What should I do?”

A small, faint sigh escaped her trembling mouth.

Step-! Step-! Step-!

All of a sudden, the sound of confident footsteps rang out.

She raised her head, only to see a man in a yellow suit, with the sun behind him, looking down at her.