Chapter 90: Finding Ghosts In The Grass
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A shadow stirred in front of her eyes and she froze in her tracks. The light from the phone illuminated only half a meter in front of her feet. Anything beyond that was pitch black.
At that moment, Su-Jin finally realized her circumstances.
She was, in fact, alone, standing at the edge of a forest, looking for a tiny object in the grass. The phone was her only light and she couldn't tell for sure what lay ahead of her.
'This is really stupid, not to mention dangerous.' She thought with a jolt of panic. 'Maybe I should just go back for now and try again in the morning. I can wake up early, right before the sun rises and search for it before…'
Su-Jin's train of thought was interrupted by a shuffling sound, followed by a groan.
It sounded strangely human.
At that moment, though, Su-Jin couldn't trust her hearing. She was too scared to even think straight, let alone use her senses to discern what was in front of her.
She slowly turned around on the spot, raising the arm holding the phone high into the air.
Feeble white rays landed on the ground, basking the surroundings in an eerie light.
Taking a deep breath, Su-Jin took another few steps towards the shadow.
A second later, her foot hit something. It was something strange that felt squashy.
Whatever it was, that thing made another shuffling sound. A loud grunt was heard, soon followed by a miffed huff.
Su-Jin felt her blood run cold. The hair at the back of her head raised instantly. Fear drained her face of all traces of color and she was sure she looked whiter than a ghost.
In her frightened state, Su-Jin even hoped that, if it was a ghost she just encountered, the spirit would be more scared of her and leave her alone.
Just then, something warm touched her ankle.
At last, letting go of all pretense at bravery, Su-Jin let out a loud shriek and tried to run away.
Her feet, though, were not her allies that night.
Su-Jin stumbled against the lying form and tumbled down, hitting the ground with a thud. The phone flew out of her hands, landing next to her. The flashlight was still on, sending bright rays up in the air.
"Ouch!" Su-Jin yelped, massaging her backside.
Looking up, her eyes fell on a human's face. She froze for an instant, her mind too terrified to process the features.
"AAAAHHH!" she screeched loudly.
The shrill sound reverberated into the night air, almost drowning the sound of another person's voice.
"Hey! Hey, shut up, it's me!" a male voice was desperately trying to speak between Su-Jin's terrified screams.
Su-Jin, on the other hand, couldn't hear anything.
The moment she saw that pale face appearing in front of her eyes, her mind went blank. She had never been the brave type to begin with and, in all honesty, had it not been for the ring missing, she would never have considered going outside the hotel at night.
The moment she saw that face getting closer to her, Su-Jin yelled even louder.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"Ah, crap!" the voice said again, cursing under his breath. "Oh, would you shut up already! It's me I said!" he snapped at her angrily, finally clasping a hand over her mouth. Then another hand came up and grabbed Su-Jin by the shoulders, shaking her vigorously.
The sounds of Su-Jin's yells died out instantly. The sudden silence gave off an eerie feeling and Su-Jin felt goosebumps rising all over her arms and legs.
At this point she looked positively horrified. Her eyes went wide and watery, her chest heaving deeply with each breath taken.
"It's me! Don't you recognize me?" the man asked her again.
He didn't sound angry anymore, but Su-Jin picked up on a slight note of irritation. She allowed herself a moment free of panic and studied the man's face.
After roaming on that person's features, Su-Jin's gaze lingered on his eyes. Their brown color was beautiful and unmistakable.
A moment later, Su-Jin let out a gasp. It appeared that she finally recognized who the man was.
'Ji-Su!' Her mind supplied the name of the person.
Seeing the look of recognition gleaming in her eyes, Ji-Su slowly took his hand away from her mouth.
"Sheesh, you're loud!" he said, pressing his palms over his ears for a second. "My ears are ringing as though a firecracker just exploded next to my head."
"Is that all you have to say?!" Su-Jin yelped in indignation. "I thought you were a ghost or something. Almost gave me a heart attack!" she breathed out angrily, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Yes, well, you also stepped on me, so I'll call that being even." Ji-Su mumbled grudgingly, massaging his left shoulder.
"Well, excuse me, but what normal person lies down here at this hour of the night?" Su-Jin retorted, arching an eyebrow. Then, she let out a gasp. "Wait a minute! You weren't here for the competitions today. So, when did you get here?"
"A bit earlier. I saw everyone gathered downstairs and came here to wait for the party to be over. I guess I fell asleep in the meantime." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.
They both got to their feet, brushing the grass and dirt from their clothes.
In the silence that fell between them, each had different thoughts buzzing inside their mind.
'I knew this person was peculiar from the first moment I saw him. Yet, I never expected him to be this eccentric.'
As Su-Jin mused over Ji-Su's personality, she couldn't help but steal a few glances at the man.
At that moment, Ji-Su was just straightening himself up. He ruffled his hair with both hands, causing a few blades of grass to fall off. There was a certain youthful wildness to his movements and Su-Jin immediately felt captivated.
Not realizing what thoughts ran through Su-Jin's head, Ji-Su also began looking carefully at her.
First, he noticed Su-Jin's attire. It was clear that she had been attending the party before she went outside.
'Why would she come here at this hour?' He wondered.
Glancing around, he saw the phone still lying on the ground and a thought occurred to him.
'Could she be… searching for something?'
Thinking of this, Ji-Su shoved his hands inside his pockets and turned to ask her.
"What about you? What are you doing here at this hour, with your phone on flashlight mode? Taking a stroll on a moonless night?"
"Oh, no. I came to search for something. But as it appears, it was stupid of me to do so. Not only could I not find what I was looking for, but I almost got killed in the process by a weird guy sleeping on the ground, in the middle of the night." Su-Jin mocked, rolling her eyes at him.
"Drama queen." He scoffed, a smile tugging at his lips. "In fact, it is you who almost killed me, stepping on me like that. I didn't know Godzilla was living around here."
At this, Su-Jin once again rolled her eyes, brandishing her hand in the air dismissively. She was just about to turn around and leave, when Ji-Su's voice stopped her.
"Were you perhaps looking for.... This?" He asked, raising one hand at Su-Jin's eye level.
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A shadow stirred in front of her eyes and she froze in her tracks. The light from the phone illuminated only half a meter in front of her feet. Anything beyond that was pitch black.
At that moment, Su-Jin finally realized her circumstances.
She was, in fact, alone, standing at the edge of a forest, looking for a tiny object in the grass. The phone was her only light and she couldn't tell for sure what lay ahead of her.
'This is really stupid, not to mention dangerous.' She thought with a jolt of panic. 'Maybe I should just go back for now and try again in the morning. I can wake up early, right before the sun rises and search for it before…'
Su-Jin's train of thought was interrupted by a shuffling sound, followed by a groan.
It sounded strangely human.
At that moment, though, Su-Jin couldn't trust her hearing. She was too scared to even think straight, let alone use her senses to discern what was in front of her.
She slowly turned around on the spot, raising the arm holding the phone high into the air.
Feeble white rays landed on the ground, basking the surroundings in an eerie light.
Taking a deep breath, Su-Jin took another few steps towards the shadow.
A second later, her foot hit something. It was something strange that felt squashy.
Whatever it was, that thing made another shuffling sound. A loud grunt was heard, soon followed by a miffed huff.
Su-Jin felt her blood run cold. The hair at the back of her head raised instantly. Fear drained her face of all traces of color and she was sure she looked whiter than a ghost.
In her frightened state, Su-Jin even hoped that, if it was a ghost she just encountered, the spirit would be more scared of her and leave her alone.
Just then, something warm touched her ankle.
At last, letting go of all pretense at bravery, Su-Jin let out a loud shriek and tried to run away.
Her feet, though, were not her allies that night.
Su-Jin stumbled against the lying form and tumbled down, hitting the ground with a thud. The phone flew out of her hands, landing next to her. The flashlight was still on, sending bright rays up in the air.
"Ouch!" Su-Jin yelped, massaging her backside.
Looking up, her eyes fell on a human's face. She froze for an instant, her mind too terrified to process the features.
"AAAAHHH!" she screeched loudly.
The shrill sound reverberated into the night air, almost drowning the sound of another person's voice.
"Hey! Hey, shut up, it's me!" a male voice was desperately trying to speak between Su-Jin's terrified screams.
Su-Jin, on the other hand, couldn't hear anything.
The moment she saw that pale face appearing in front of her eyes, her mind went blank. She had never been the brave type to begin with and, in all honesty, had it not been for the ring missing, she would never have considered going outside the hotel at night.
The moment she saw that face getting closer to her, Su-Jin yelled even louder.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"Ah, crap!" the voice said again, cursing under his breath. "Oh, would you shut up already! It's me I said!" he snapped at her angrily, finally clasping a hand over her mouth. Then another hand came up and grabbed Su-Jin by the shoulders, shaking her vigorously.
The sounds of Su-Jin's yells died out instantly. The sudden silence gave off an eerie feeling and Su-Jin felt goosebumps rising all over her arms and legs.
At this point she looked positively horrified. Her eyes went wide and watery, her chest heaving deeply with each breath taken.
"It's me! Don't you recognize me?" the man asked her again.
He didn't sound angry anymore, but Su-Jin picked up on a slight note of irritation. She allowed herself a moment free of panic and studied the man's face.
After roaming on that person's features, Su-Jin's gaze lingered on his eyes. Their brown color was beautiful and unmistakable.
A moment later, Su-Jin let out a gasp. It appeared that she finally recognized who the man was.
'Ji-Su!' Her mind supplied the name of the person.
Seeing the look of recognition gleaming in her eyes, Ji-Su slowly took his hand away from her mouth.
"Sheesh, you're loud!" he said, pressing his palms over his ears for a second. "My ears are ringing as though a firecracker just exploded next to my head."
"Is that all you have to say?!" Su-Jin yelped in indignation. "I thought you were a ghost or something. Almost gave me a heart attack!" she breathed out angrily, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Yes, well, you also stepped on me, so I'll call that being even." Ji-Su mumbled grudgingly, massaging his left shoulder.
"Well, excuse me, but what normal person lies down here at this hour of the night?" Su-Jin retorted, arching an eyebrow. Then, she let out a gasp. "Wait a minute! You weren't here for the competitions today. So, when did you get here?"
"A bit earlier. I saw everyone gathered downstairs and came here to wait for the party to be over. I guess I fell asleep in the meantime." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.
They both got to their feet, brushing the grass and dirt from their clothes.
In the silence that fell between them, each had different thoughts buzzing inside their mind.
'I knew this person was peculiar from the first moment I saw him. Yet, I never expected him to be this eccentric.'
As Su-Jin mused over Ji-Su's personality, she couldn't help but steal a few glances at the man.
At that moment, Ji-Su was just straightening himself up. He ruffled his hair with both hands, causing a few blades of grass to fall off. There was a certain youthful wildness to his movements and Su-Jin immediately felt captivated.
Not realizing what thoughts ran through Su-Jin's head, Ji-Su also began looking carefully at her.
First, he noticed Su-Jin's attire. It was clear that she had been attending the party before she went outside.
'Why would she come here at this hour?' He wondered.
Glancing around, he saw the phone still lying on the ground and a thought occurred to him.
'Could she be… searching for something?'
Thinking of this, Ji-Su shoved his hands inside his pockets and turned to ask her.
"What about you? What are you doing here at this hour, with your phone on flashlight mode? Taking a stroll on a moonless night?"
"Oh, no. I came to search for something. But as it appears, it was stupid of me to do so. Not only could I not find what I was looking for, but I almost got killed in the process by a weird guy sleeping on the ground, in the middle of the night." Su-Jin mocked, rolling her eyes at him.
"Drama queen." He scoffed, a smile tugging at his lips. "In fact, it is you who almost killed me, stepping on me like that. I didn't know Godzilla was living around here."
At this, Su-Jin once again rolled her eyes, brandishing her hand in the air dismissively. She was just about to turn around and leave, when Ji-Su's voice stopped her.
"Were you perhaps looking for.... This?" He asked, raising one hand at Su-Jin's eye level.
A shadow stirred in front of her eyes and she froze in her tracks. The light from the phone illuminated only half a meter in front of her feet. Anything beyond that was pitch black. At that moment, Su-Jin finally realized her circumstances.She was, in fact, alone, standing at the edge of a forest, looking for a tiny object in the grass. The phone was her only light and she couldn't tell for sure what lay ahead of her. 'This is really stupid, not to mention dangerous.' She thought with a jolt of panic. 'Maybe I should just go back for now and try again in the morning. I can wake up early, right before the sun rises and search for it before' Su-Jin's train of thought was interrupted by a shuffling sound, followed by a groan. It sounded strangely human. At that moment, though, Su-Jin couldn't trust her hearing. She was too scared to even think straight, let alone use her senses to discern what was in front of her.She slowly turned around on the spot, raising the arm holding the phone high into the air.Feeble white rays landed on the ground, basking the surroundings in an eerie light. Taking a deep breath, Su-Jin took another few steps towards the shadow. A second later, her foot hit something. It was something strange that felt squashy. Whatever it was, that thing made another shuffling sound. A loud grunt was heard, soon followed by a miffed huff.Su-Jin felt her blood run cold. The hair at the back of her head raised instantly. Fear drained her face of all traces of color and she was sure she looked whiter than a ghost. In her frightened state, Su-Jin even hoped that, if it was a ghost she just encountered, the spirit would be more scared of her and leave her alone.Just then, something warm touched her ankle. At last, letting go of all pretense at bravery, Su-Jin let out a loud shriek and tried to run away.Her feet, though, were not her allies that night. Su-Jin stumbled against the lying form and tumbled down, hitting the ground with a thud. The phone flew out of her hands, landing next to her. The flashlight was still on, sending bright rays up in the air."Ouch!" Su-Jin yelped, massaging her backside.Looking up, her eyes fell on a human's face. She froze for an instant, her mind too terrified to process the features."AAAAHHH!" she screeched loudly.The shrill sound reverberated into the night air, almost drowning the sound of another person's voice."Hey! Hey, shut up, it's me!" a male voice was desperately trying to speak between Su-Jin's terrified screams.Su-Jin, on the other hand, couldn't hear anything. The moment she saw that pale face appearing in front of her eyes, her mind went blank. She had never been the brave type to begin with and, in all honesty, had it not been for the ring missing, she would never have considered going outside the hotel at night. The moment she saw that face getting closer to her, Su-Jin yelled even louder. "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" "Ah, crap!" the voice said again, cursing under his breath. "Oh, would you shut up already! It's me I said!" he snapped at her angrily, finally clasping a hand over her mouth. Then another hand came up and grabbed Su-Jin by the shoulders, shaking her vigorously.The sounds of Su-Jin's yells died out instantly. The sudden silence gave off an eerie feeling and Su-Jin felt goosebumps rising all over her arms and legs.At this point she looked positively horrified. Her eyes went wide and watery, her chest heaving deeply with each breath taken."It's me! Don't you recognize me?" the man asked her again.He didn't sound angry anymore, but Su-Jin picked up on a slight note of irritation. She allowed herself a moment free of panic and studied the man's face. After roaming on that person's features, Su-Jin's gaze lingered on his eyes. Their brown color was beautiful and unmistakable.A moment later, Su-Jin let out a gasp. It appeared that she finally recognized who the man was. 'Ji-Su!' Her mind supplied the name of the person.Seeing the look of recognition gleaming in her eyes, Ji-Su slowly took his hand away from her mouth."Sheesh, you're loud!" he said, pressing his palms over his ears for a second. "My ears are ringing as though a firecracker just exploded next to my head.""Is that all you have to say?!" Su-Jin yelped in indignation. "I thought you were a ghost or something. Almost gave me a heart attack!" she breathed out angrily, crossing her arms in front of her chest."Yes, well, you also stepped on me, so I'll call that being even." Ji-Su mumbled grudgingly, massaging his left shoulder."Well, excuse me, but what normal person lies down here at this hour of the night?" Su-Jin retorted, arching an eyebrow. Then, she let out a gasp. "Wait a minute! You weren't here for the competitions today. So, when did you get here?""A bit earlier. I saw everyone gathered downstairs and came here to wait for the party to be over. I guess I fell asleep in the meantime." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.They both got to their feet, brushing the grass and dirt from their clothes. In the silence that fell between them, each had different thoughts buzzing inside their mind.'I knew this person was peculiar from the first moment I saw him. Yet, I never expected him to be this eccentric.' As Su-Jin mused over Ji-Su's personality, she couldn't help but steal a few glances at the man.At that moment, Ji-Su was just straightening himself up. He ruffled his hair with both hands, causing a few blades of grass to fall off. There was a certain youthful wildness to his movements and Su-Jin immediately felt captivated.Not realizing what thoughts ran through Su-Jin's head, Ji-Su also began looking carefully at her.First, he noticed Su-Jin's attire. It was clear that she had been attending the party before she went outside.'Why would she come here at this hour?' He wondered. Glancing around, he saw the phone still lying on the ground and a thought occurred to him.'Could she be searching for something?'Thinking of this, Ji-Su shoved his hands inside his pockets and turned to ask her."What about you? What are you doing here at this hour, with your phone on flashlight mode? Taking a stroll on a moonless night?" "Oh, no. I came to search for something. But as it appears, it was stupid of me to do so. Not only could I not find what I was looking for, but I almost got killed in the process by a weird guy sleeping on the ground, in the middle of the night." Su-Jin mocked, rolling her eyes at him."Drama queen." He scoffed, a smile tugging at his lips. "In fact, it is you who almost killed me, stepping on me like that. I didn't know Godzilla was living around here."At this, Su-Jin once again rolled her eyes, brandishing her hand in the air dismissively. She was just about to turn around and leave, when Ji-Su's voice stopped her."Were you perhaps looking for.... This?" He asked, raising one hand at Su-Jin's eye level.
