Yui followed Baek through the winding streets, her school uniform now feeling more like an odd costume than actual attire for ghost hunting. She had long ago stopped questioning her life choices, especially after she agreed to join Baek Woo-jin in his weirdly creepy yet strangely exhilarating after-hours adventures.
"So, uh, you never actually told me," Yui said, kicking a random soda can down the sidewalk. "How many of these 'dangerous' ghosts have you dealt with? Is there, like, a ghost hunter's manual or something you can pass on to me?"
Baek didn't look back at her, but she could see the faintest twitch of his lips. "No manuals. Just experience. And the occasional nervous breakdown."
Yui snorted. "Great. So you're just making it up as you go?"
He glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes sharp. "I don't make mistakes."
"Oh, so you're perfect, huh?" Yui raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. "Is this a 'no mistakes allowed' kind of thing?"
Baek's eyes narrowed just a bit. "If I make a mistake, you'll be the first to know."
Yui stopped walking for a second, watching his back. "That's reassuring."
"Glad you think so," he said, a little too seriously for Yui's liking.
She jogged to catch up. "Alright, but seriously, what's the deal with this next ghost? You keep saying 'dangerous' like we're walking into a trap, but I'm still trying to figure out what exactly we're dealing with here."
Baek's stride didn't slow down. "This one's a manipulator. It doesn't use chainsaws or knives. It uses people. It bends their will, plants thoughts, makes them do things they wouldn't normally do."
Yui's eyes widened. "So, it's like a ghost that does mind control?"
Baek nodded. "Exactly. It's been feeding off of the chaos it creates. People around it start acting strange, doing things out of character—sometimes violent things—without even realizing it."
Yui crossed her arms, trying to act more serious than she felt. "Sounds like a bad reality TV show."
Baek shot her a glance. "Not quite."
"Okay, okay," Yui said, nodding dramatically. "So this ghost's whole thing is making people crazy. I guess I'm starting to understand why you think we need to stop it before it gets worse. But… why are we here, then? Where's the spirit?"
Baek stopped in front of a small, unmarked building tucked away between two larger structures. The area was dim, the neon lights from the nearby shops flickering in an almost eerie way.
Yui squinted at the building. "This… place?"
Baek gave a single nod. "This is where it's hiding. But it's not just a regular haunt."
"Let me guess," Yui deadpanned, "it's a haunted coffee shop? Or maybe an evil arcade?"
Baek didn't answer immediately, simply pushing open the door. Yui followed him inside, barely suppressing a giggle. She was hoping for at least a haunted grocery store or something, but apparently, Baek's version of "dangerous spirits" came with a touch of mystery, not sarcasm.
Inside was a small, dimly lit space—far from any place Yui would voluntarily visit, even in the daylight. The shelves were lined with dusty books, and the air smelled like something between musty paper and… lavender?
Yui wrinkled her nose. "I think I'm allergic to whatever this place is giving off."
Baek didn't seem to notice. "It's a bookstore. And it's not the books that are the problem."
"Wait," Yui's brain caught up with the situation. "You mean… the ghost is controlling people through books?"
Baek nodded again, his expression serious. "That's what it wants you to think. But the truth is, it's using the stories inside those books to create a new reality. It's all based on perception."
"Great," Yui muttered, glancing around. "So it's one of those artsy ghosts with a 'deep' sense of narrative?"
Baek's mouth twitched, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned toward a bookshelf near the back and began sifting through the titles with practiced precision.
Yui couldn't help but poke fun at the situation. "You know, I always thought ghost hunting would involve more… I don't know, chasing things and less 'book club' stuff."
Baek ignored her, pulling a dusty tome off the shelf. It looked ancient, its cover blackened and frayed. He flipped it open, scanning the pages quickly.
"I know it's here," he muttered, as if to himself. "It's hiding in the pages."
"Wow, real subtle," Yui said sarcastically. "Hiding in the pages. Is that, like, the ghost's way of saying, 'I'm deep and philosophical?'"
Baek shot her an unimpressed look, but she could see a tiny glimmer of amusement in his eyes. He set the book down on a nearby table. "We need to find the right one. The ghost is attached to a specific story. Once we find it, we can trap it."
"And how are we supposed to know which one?" Yui asked. "Is there like, a secret ghost-indicator on the books? Some kind of sticker?"
Baek paused for a moment, considering her words. "Actually… that's not a bad idea."
Yui blinked. "Wait, you're serious?"
Baek just stared at her. "You'd be surprised how often the obvious answers work."
Yui opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the door to the bookstore creaked open behind them. A cold gust of wind blew in, carrying with it the faint sound of footsteps.
Yui turned toward the door, her heart beating faster. "Baek…"
Baek was already moving, his scythe materializing in his hand. His gaze never wavered from the door. "It's here."
Yui clenched her fists. "Okay, but before we do anything, can we at least agree this whole situation is bizarre? I mean, haunted bookstores? Really?"
Baek's lips curled into a small, cryptic smile as he turned to face the entrance. "Just wait. It gets weirder."
END OF CHAPTER SIX