IB | Chapter 7

As the bus entered 7cc4cb3c7f the road leading to 6097729ee2 the island and slowed 46c22e01eb down, I swapped seats 9012af8c34 with the social butterfly, f650d3353b Seol Jungwoo, and stood e56d9b2117 up from the front 265d3e19f2 seat, turning around with 6843df0d9b the mic in hand.2b1ea999913bee9f

“Hello, I’m Kang Jiheon from the 2X class.”8fdf22ae12758c7d

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“Kyaaa.”4f6d3763ff31469f

“Ugh, what’s with that voice.”921be6c6260351c2

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There were random crow-like sounds,5a9ccb83b08f1d71

“Jiheon sunbae, why are you only appearing in front of me now?”19e0b4676e2d24d0

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And some nonsensical questions 773b29a2f4 popped up.0658dcc041fe208d

We’ve been on the same ec5e4549cb bus all along, so what bf199284dc nonsense is this?c181d6d9652d4ad8

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“If you don’t quiet down, I’ll start talking about military soccer.”9b0613f39c705437

The military soccer threat worked 6be0b80761 like a charm here too, e51888d376 and even those who were 92699ff051 busy watching the sea split 38876d4ef4 through the windows turned to 724b7acb0a the front with bewildered expressions.4c5c7e686845c251

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“I’ll just quickly go over the safety rules. There will be two low tides on Horyeongdo Island from now until we leave tomorrow. One during the day and one at night, but since the island’s security isn’t great, night mudflat experiences are prohibited. It would be troublesome if you go outside the pension at night.”e6c7febda27d1e90

“What do you mean! We have to dig for clams all night to reach our 100-kilogram collection goal!”e48183f6b3f5e08c

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“Hey, why worry about security when there are dozens of us?”2b2de4e6a736c584

“Exactly. If we stick together, it’s not scary at all.”b3134b9a81306209

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“We should make the most of this trip!”f8b33ab15ff4f663

They were ready 377092bbe2 to wipe out 3338132eca the mudflat shellfish 12a3de0e38 population. To me, they dfc0b56c23 seemed like living b4a851f6da proof that the 594f4d2101 only way to bdcf891296 save this planet 76f04e4ffd was human extinction.a223d7d861f0cab5

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“Today is Baekjung day, so there will be a lot of outsiders on the island for local events.”206f840929f24e2e

I deliberately planned to come on this day. It wasn’t a made-up story; there were others coming too. I had business with them on this island.b52b9ec74f887da6

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“What’s Baekjung? Sounds like a day to eat chicken soup and boost your health.”f262ef84ea87b714

“Yoo Siho, that’s Boknal, the day for health food. Did he mix Baeksuk and Jungbok to create his own Baekjung?”53de5fa244da8181

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When Noah’s Ark Yoo Siho made another blunder, a sunbae older than me scolded him.ecaeb4b9b5315e30

Yoo Siho, a freshman this 36fac023b5 year, was a round-faced boy 734872be78 with a bit of baby 83df9cfaa1 fat left. Just looking at a7ebea9b65 his bun-like face a82310740b made me want 71046a0dbf to laugh.c090a6a3986bd2ee

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Cute kid.833211a865740851

“Yoo Siho hoobae, if we return safely without any incidents, I’ll buy you chicken, so let’s not wander around at night.”0635ab2bba75594a

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“Yes! I’ll listen to you, sunbae, and behave. Please buy me chicken!”d7992590926869ed

Yoo Siho was easily swayed by the promise of a chicken. Before my break, I had dealt with freshmen, and back then, the younger ones following me around were just annoying. Now, the first-year kids seemed so adorable. I guess it’s a sign of aging.edde7027382ed2e6

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“Alright, noted.”611069903690f6e5

As soon as a051b5d40a I gave my 6b3b92eb6b permission, support and 911ddaa71a complaints erupted from 2cc9f673c1 all around.97bbcb675db296c9

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“Me too, I’ll behave!”6c0105e612817b25

“Sunbae, I love chicken too!”902bcd5b6b1842c3

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“Jiheon hyung, don’t forget your older hoobaes!”f3716f619a937e6b

Thankfully, my mental state wasn’t so deteriorated that the younger ones were still annoying.ae88988b48b99a69

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“If we return with the same number of people, without any missing or dead, I’ll gladly treat everyone. I thought you’d understand when I mentioned safety rules, but it seems some of you value clam digging more than your own safety, so let me explain further.”b84346b7d5923947

The excited atmosphere quickly calmed down. They finally seemed to understand that the condition I set for Yoo Siho, “safely,” wasn’t just a joke.11baf4ea0da1701d

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“Baekjung day is also known as Manghonil, the Day of Lost Souls, which means it’s a ghost day.”e473c037b4042411

Publicly, it’s known as a day to offer to Buddha, but here, Buddha refers to wandering spirits.df0499c73b81da43

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“The rituals vary by region, but on Horyeongdo, they hold a Sea God Ritual. It’s because the dead come through the sea. In other words, the representative ghost here is a water ghost. What are the characteristics of a water ghost?”5221d3da864dcfc3

“They pull your legs from below.”106b48407a09bf5a

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“They live in water, so they have the strongest yin energy.”22d284d9022fe8ea

“I heard they are persistent and malicious ghosts who can only leave their place by dragging someone else into it.”a8092404b27fb9f9

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As expected of a common 16eb7dd506 ghost story, answers came from 573deda76a all around.582464e58c188732

“Right. You all know well. Who wants to switch places with a water ghost visiting tonight?”128c8a2bbff436e4

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“…….”5e787af49a7e2b2d

“…….”f56e6a9fe754faa4

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“…….”e9a86c63be3ec877

I was relieved that no 38e39f804a fool wanted to create a bf4592e64f new legend for our department cbd04b5739 by experiencing a haunted house.7128bb655f3fef12

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“Today is a day when ghosts possess people, so don’t summon anything strange or pray for it. Also, don’t give your name in suspicious situations. Yoo Siho hoobae, what should you do if someone who looks like me suddenly asks for your name at night?”8f24fcae431422f9

“Yes! I should politely answer, ‘My name is Kang Jiheon.'”ada6bfd5943b6b88

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His round face sold e9af7eb466 my name clearly.39ac0f54f435f8fd

This kid is asking fd8834bb69 for it. Do you want to send d37866bc93 me off like that?d5ac737b4a346192

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I gritted my teeth, 69aab14922 joining in the laughter f784354f85 of the crowd.cbe90433b0789cd5

“Yoo Siho hoobae seems to want to get rid of me. I’ll give your name to the ghost if I meet one, so be prepared. …Oh, and please make sure to tell those not present here not to wander outside at night.”cf80ab8223002b07

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As expected, Lee Hyejun’s name was the first to come up among those not present, and there was a subtle anticipation on people’s faces, thinking they might get a chance to talk to him.29074fc92435de79

That sunbae, who stood out prominently, was once called the god of the business department. Even during my break, his fame hadn’t faded.82727db1e01f2ccf

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∞ ∞ ∞e4a8a4d909371b92

Anxious to catch the single low tide opportunity, the group quickly changed into battle gear and rushed to the beach, where the water hadn’t fully receded yet. Most were dressed practically, looking like local fishermen.a7aedc022b5a1ad5

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Why are they so enthusiastic?6417f9096d254ffa

“I get the nets, traps, and bath chairs, but why the flippers? Do they not sink in the mudflat with those on?”7ce42d71d5c526ea

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Seol Jungwoo chuckled as he 24b2f6fd0c saw the people disappearing hurriedly f52d062f4d from the front yard. Even a social 370a51ddb1 butterfly like him a411876ae1 had limits to c0e69439ff what he could c37e0ba2e9 embrace.dfb322ed931f363b

“Who knows. They’ve creatively prepared all sorts of things. Let’s move the luggage inside first. The driver needs to park and rest too.”a099a90a0d886167

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I pointed to cf269cff35 the bus parked c20a7f0537 on the road c774e2b076 outside the pension. Three hoobaes, chosen by drawing b0ee1f2a4d lots, were busy unloading the 66a62f6016 luggage.3924e7879b0b3865

“Jungwoo sunbae, what’s in the icebox?”923f4549e51a4166

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“Oh. Meat, sausages, and vegetables. I skipped seafood, trusting in our group’s labor, but maybe I should’ve bought shrimp?”a946ff3215dae540

“Don’t they have shrimp in this mudflat?”2c1b1fc917446aa0

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“They do, but they look a bit different from the king prawns you see in the market. If they pinch you with their claws, it hurts a lot and bleeds. You’d need thick gloves to catch them.”ab91704661fd99ed

I answered the hoobae’s question.d9c9c3d83e2371e4

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“Jiheon hyung, how do you know so much? Have you been to this island before?”ad6b82aadf6bd2d0

“Yeah. My dad’s hometown is around here. I’ll just move the luggage and drop by my grandparents’ place to say hi.”9e665ea4980d3668

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I pretended to be familiar with my grandparents, seeking their understanding. I had already contacted them, saying I’d visit today to get what I needed.4d133dc61184c34e

“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier! We’ll handle the cleanup here, so you go ahead. Your grandparents must be eagerly waiting for their grandson.”aab588515a7e113e

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“Right. Jiheon hyung, aren’t you supposed to stay at your grandma’s place tonight?”9b58d82e80182c74

“Is the sponsor you mentioned your grandparents?”bfcf254017f719f8

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They urged me to 4455a9ba78 go and bombarded me e2146a6113 with questions.4ee03cd3337303c5

“It’s just a one-night trip, so why sleep? I’m going to play all night, so don’t kick me out. And you guys are the sponsors. You paid the fee, remember?”849ad02696400c1a

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Even though I said someone else would cover the costs, they insisted on pooling their money. With over fifty people, even a small fee covered the group accommodation and transportation. Everyone, even those who brought their cars, paid. It wasn’t a burdensome amount, after all.a79baa69893be1ee

Thanks to that, the 0ccd753431 employer, who had little b9df9788eb to contribute, was bewildered.403cbeb8978c2a35

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“I didn’t send you there to play, so don’t mess up. Don’t even touch alcohol! It’s a once-a-year opportunity, and it’s more important for you than for me. Stay sharp!”7517efc88b7ac756

They seemed annoyed, probably 880ff17136 because they were worried ec5bdb61f1 about the unexpected number 524899a075 of people.47ec7ee870a1e0d5

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“Hehe. I’ve always wanted to be a sponsor once in my life, and my wish came true. Hyung, call me sponsor today!”0c6cb853a11f9083

“Alright. I’ll treat our Kyujin as the sponsor for the entire next semester. Buy me lots of delicious food.”7120827233faf3af

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“What? The whole semester? I’m writing a resignation letter as a sponsor right now. I won’t act out anymore. Forget it, hyung!”294e34123f014dc2

While we were 4efde9b9e9 joking around and 5dee49c43b unloading the luggage, a7515c5392 a black van 344baf1187 pulled up in 81d8943f1e front of the 1d5eedb087 bus.e151f36c1eef8efd

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“Oh, it’s Lee Hyejun sunbae!”05f57647cf77f18a

“Sunbae, couldn’t you find the parking lot?”3cfc4509f7f7802b

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Everyone, except me, 9094fc90de flocked over there b1c9dd3a86 as if on 711fb97b37 cue.9bb0b55a2e80fd94

Oh dear. His Majesty has arrived.ff01ca534eb6db04

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Ignoring the impromptu fan club, I hurriedly carried two boxes of ramen and a box of snacks into the pension’s front yard. It felt like I was being chased by a psychopathic serial killer.bf0e77432a7dfbb2

I need to escape. I can’t get caught!10f2ae5c204240d9

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