Ghost Story Club

[2019, May 5th | Sunday, 21:14 PM]

[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts – 2]

[Ghost Story Points: 195]

[Causality Rate: 19%]

[Breaking news. A bundle of money worth over 2 billion won has been found in a garlic field in Gangseo District, Busan. The discovery was made by a forklift operator who was working on road repair in the area when he was digging up some nearby soil. It’s a story like something out of a movie, reporter Kim Hyunji will be briefing the situation.]

[T/N: Gangseo District is a district in the western part of Busan, South Korea. It is one of the city’s 15 districts (gu) and is situated near the coast, offering access to both urban and natural landscapes.]

[As the excavator overturned the garlic field, a black plastic bag was revealed.]

[“Hey, it’s ripped, be careful! Lift it carefully! Does it have the money in or not?”]

[What was found inside the bag was 200 bundles of 50,000 won bills. That’s a whopping 1 billion won. After receiving the report around 6 p.m., the police searched the 1,000-square-meter garlic field and found cash worth 2.7 billion won in cash.]

That day, on Children’s Day evening.

After I finished dining out with my family, I was sitting at home, just watching the TV news.

As expected, after the long wait, the breaking news in the evening on TV reported that cash had been found buried in a garlic field.

‘I remembered correctly.’

No one lives remembering every detail of their lives with the expectation of going back to the past, so although I remembered the incident, I forgot the exact location. However, because the day was a special day like Children’s Day, I was certain today was the day.

Treasure found in a field, which was hidden by a criminal who operated an illegal gambling site and deceived people with false promises.

It was not only a completely secret large sum of money that, even if taken out or stolen, leaves no social record, there were also no repercussions, and no one was harmed in the process either.

‘And the only one who will be the victims are the same criminals who are involved in illegal gambling. They probably don’t even realize that they’ve been robbed. They just think that they lost money because they lost the bet.’

In the case of winning the lottery, even if I somehow get the money with the help of the Detective or Teacher Hwaeun, in the end, the large sum of money is in someone else’s hands, and the fact that I always have to go through someone else when spending the money bothered me.

But if it’s the money buried in this garlic field, then I can be at ease.

If I remember correctly, the police would conduct a thorough search in that garlic field tomorrow and uncover a wad of cash worth a total of 11 billion won.

‘And all that money will be returned to the national treasury.’

♬ Everybody! Four! In! Cess! ♬

☎︎ Gyeongwon

Suddenly, I got a call. When I checked my phone, it was Gyeongwon.

Dud-

“Hello?”

[Prez! Did you see the news? Is that the blind money you were talking about in the clubroom?]

His tone sounded excited as if he had solved a case.

[What happened then? Weren’t you going to get the money?]

I remained silent.

From the beginning, I had planned to thoroughly read the news, confirm the location properly, and then go back in time to retrieve it.

[Prez! Prez?]

Gyeongwon called me desperately for a while, but when he didn’t receive an answer, he paused as if he realized something.

[…You’re planning to retrieve it now. You have just been confirming.]

I answered with both eyes closed.

“Yup.”

[……]

The reason I didn’t explain things to the members properly was because I was worried this would happen.

I just gave them a hint pretending to already know.

Because if I had told them in advance that I would turn back time, it would be like stamping the fact that the next two days they’ll spend will be meaningless moments that will forever disappear from their memories.

A sentence that would set an expiration date of their life.

I wondered what Gyeongwon was feeling.

In just 20 minutes, his current self will be forgotten.

[…Take care, Prez.]

“Yes.”

A voice that sounded hesitant transmitted from the phone amidst the tension.

But his concern was real.

[Tell me everything later.]

“… Will that be alright?”

The question, asked hesitantly, was to know whether he would be comfortable knowing that everything, including the fact that time went back without him knowing, had changed.

Even if I keep explaining to him to make him aware of it, it would only cause more confusion about his current self.

I have always hoped that if possible, the members wouldn’t dwell too deeply on that part and continue living their everyday lives.

Just as no one lives every moment constantly reminding themselves that they will inevitably grow old and die in about 70 years, there are things in life that are better left ignored in order to live more peacefully.

[…..It’s okay. You can tell me. I should start getting used to it slowly.]

I nodded silently in response to Gyeongwon’s tone of voice, which seemed trying his best to sound indifferent.

[Everyone should get used to it.]

“Thank you for understanding.”

[Yeah……]

Gyeongwon, who had been searching for words for a moment, soon started to pour out the information he knew.

[A 50,000 won bill weighs about 1gm. If you calculate it with that… I don’t know how strong Prez is, but the amount you can carry around in a bag at once would be about 1 billion won.]

1 billion won would be 20,000 bills of 50,000 won, weighing about 20 kg.

Of course, it would only be possible if I bought a very large bag and stuffed it all in.

Considering that I was in a position to travel from one end of South Korea to the other, there was no need to do something so conspicuous.

If the bag could hold 50,000 won bills weighing about 20kg, 1 billion won would be more than enough for the members to carry out the club activities for 3 years.

[Of course, that’s just the amount you can carry at once. If Prez hides it somewhere else in the garlic field so the police can’t find it, you can go back to Busan later and get more from there.]

“I won’t do that.”

It was dangerous.

After all, this money was black money with a criminal organization behind it.

[…Is that alright?]

“Yeah.”

I nodded.

“1 billion won is more than enough for us to live extravagantly for 3 years.”

A whopping 1 billion won for the club fund.

Wherever we go and whatever activities we do, we can freely take it out and spend as we like.

“There’s no need to take more than that, and we shouldn’t either. You never know where or what kind of variables might come into play.”

The situation was already risky enough.

I have no choice but to go directly and check if the area near the garlic field is safe, if there are any residents living nearby, and if it’s a good place to sneak things out.

[…Are you confident you won’t get caught?]n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“That area is completely rural, with only one village bus running every 30 minutes. The owner of the cash buried in the garlic field is currently in prison for another case.”

It was a case so famous that it has been used as material for various dramas and webtoons in the future, so I roughly know about it.

“I’ve checked everything. I’m confident I won’t get caught.”

[Alright… If Prez has checked, there shouldn’t be any problems. So, where are you planning to store the money you’ll bring?]

“Secret.”

[Oh my……]

Gyeongwon chuckled in amusement.

[I’d probably forget it anyway even if you tell me now.]

“…..Still, it’s a place you know as well, but explaining why it’s hidden there and all the details is a bit complicated.”

[Okay, then.]

Gyeongwon’s voice sounded curious, yet resigned.

[I hope Prez has come up with a safe way.]

“Yeah.”

[Take care and come back safely. If anything happens, contact me. I was home all day yesterday. If you call, I’ll pick up the call right away.]

“Okay, I’ll contact you if I need to.”

[Okay, good luck.]

“Thank you.”

I hung up the phone, turned on the internet, and began checking the news articles to confirm the map and location once again.

“Busan, Gangseo District…..”

Although it was in Busan, it seemed more accurate to consider it in Gimhae since it’s in a complete outskirts area.

[T/N: Gimhae is a city located in the southeastern part of South Korea, within the Gyeongsangnam-do province. It is a part of the larger Busan metropolitan area and is situated to the west of Busan itself.]

The place where the road repair work was done is Nakdong Riverside road, which runs along the Nakdong River.

“Nearby, there is Noksan Middle School, Nokmyeong Elementary School…”

From the picture, the area really looked like an empty field, and it was surprising that there was a school in such a rural place.

I looked at the map, slowly examining the unfamiliar name of Gangseo District between Busan and Gimhae, as well as the names of roads I had never seen before, while considering which route would be the best to take to get there easily.

Then, I compared the video and photos from the news article again, checking the terrain of the garlic field and the location where the money was buried.

‘Surprisingly, there’s a street view.’

I was once again impressed by Korea’s ability to install street view even in such nooks and crannies of remote areas.

I used the street view function on the map to look around the area.

On one side of the area, there is a river. On the other side, there is an entirely empty, barren field, but I can roughly guess where the garlic field, which I was aiming for, is located in the distance.

‘It should be around here.’

A few small buildings were visible nearby.

Judging from the lights streaming from the buildings in the photo, it didn’t seem like they were completely uninhabited.

‘There’s no place in this small country of South Korea where people don’t live.’

Still, they look more like temporary buildings used as warehouses or factories rather than actual residential buildings.

If I had to point out something that was concerning, it would be an old tile-roofed house near the garlic field, which looked like it was on the verge of collapsing.

Whether someone lived in that tiled house could only be confirmed by going there in person.

“Huuu.”

I turned off my computer and put on a coat.

Considering that the forklift operator reported it around 6pm this evening on May 5th……

‘The checkpoint would be perfect if it were yesterday or the day before.’

I’ll only know by dying and coming back to life.

I passed the living room and went to the front door to put on my shoes.

“Where are you going, Joony?”

My father peeked over his shoulder from the sofa in the living room, still wearing his casual clothes.

“I’m just going to take a short walk. I think I ate too much at the buffet earlier.”

“Eh. You’re not running away because I didn’t buy you a Children’s Day present, are you?”

“No, that’s not it…..”

I’m not running away, I’m just going to commit suicide.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay, if you’re sulking for a present, just let me know.”

I opened the front door as I smiled.

‘How old am I?’

I should prepare a Children’s Day present by myself.

The type is cash, and the amount is about 1 billion won.

[Ascending]

I took the elevator straight to the top floor, then opened the emergency exit and went up to the rooftop.

Crossing the dark rooftop where unknown objects were thrown haphazardly, I stood in front of the railing.

The evening above our apartment complex unfolded clearly before my eyes.

In the darkness, I could see the lights streaming through the windows of each household as they finished dinner.

Some families were sitting around watching TV, while in some houses, there were students playing games alone.

Looking down, I could see people taking a walk and security guards leisurely strolling around.

“Huu.”

For some reason, I felt a bit sentimental.

Before jumping down, I took a quick look around the rooftop.

‘Hayoon was around that spot back then.’

During the psychopathy test, Hayoon, with her black hair fluttering in the moonlight.

Her strange beauty, that couldn’t possibly exist in reality, was still vivid in my eyes.

What exactly was she doing at that time I wonder?

‘Anyway, I’m going to turn back time, might as well see her reaction.’

I opened my phone and sent a KakaoTalk message to Hayoon.

[Lee Joon: I’m going to commit suicide and turn back time.]

KakaoTalk~

[In Hayoon: Yeah]

Still the same.

‘At least she didn’t leave me on read.’

I put my phone back into my pocket and took a few deep breaths, patting my pounding chest.

“I can do this, I can definitely do this.”

You can do it If you want. You can do it If you want!

With my eyes tightly shut, I ran, making a ‘da-da-da’ sound, and swiftly climbed over the railing.

“Aah… Aahhh…!”

Wheeeee—

My flailing body floated in the air with no support, and I curled up my arms and legs in fear.

With the endless sensation of falling down below.

“Aaaahhh… Aaaaahhh…..!”

Wheeeee—

The sound of the wind brushing against my ears was sharp, and the feeling of my chest plummeting endlessly felt so intense that it felt like about to leap out of my chest.

When will it end? When will it end?

I’ve heard that some people die from a heart attack before they hit the ground. Damn, why think it while I’m falling. Ahhh, I feel like I’m going crazy.

I endured desperately, hoping this moment would just end, eventually, with a tremendous impact, my vision went abruptly black.

[You are dead.]

[Restarting from the previous checkpoint.]

[Loading…… ]

* * *

“Joony~ Can you come out and help us?”

When I came to, I was lying face down on my bed and reading ghost stories on my phone. My mother was calling me from the master bedroom.

Immediately, I jumped up and called out the Status Window.

“Status window.”

Pop-

[2019, May 4th | Saturday, 11:23 AM]

[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts – 2]

[Ghost Story Points: 195]

[Causality Rate: 19%]

‘11:23 a.m. on Saturday. I returned to the day before.’

The cash in the garlic field would be discovered by the forklift operator around tomorrow evening.

If I prepare now and catch the train, I should be able to reach Busan by tonight. And if I dig up the cash and return by morning, there will be enough time.

“Joony~ Come and help me out~”

My mom, who was cleaning in my parents’ room, called me again.

I quickly changed into clothes for going out and left the house.

“Mom, I’m sorry, but my friends are calling me urgently right now.”

“Sigh, alright. Go ahead.”

My parents, who had just experienced the rough times of being robbed, didn’t scold me too much.

I quickly rushed out of the apartment complex, and made my way to ShinLim Station to catch the subway.