Chapter Text
I grabbed the handle, opened the door, and stepped into the taxi.
I didn't even have time to admire the clean, modern interior. I switched to the other seat and immediately made room for Lee Jaheon, who got in right after me.
As soon as he was inside, he pulled the rest of the thread and slammed the door shut with unnecessary force.
BANG!
Finally, I looked up.
In the driver's seat was a man in an impeccably pressed uniform with a peaked cap covering the upper part of his face. He was resting his chin on his elbow, which was in turn resting on the door handle. A classic waiting position.
Hurriedly, I said politely, "Please take us to Seoul Station." Before leaning back in my seat and letting out a suppressed mental sigh.
Phew!…
We made it, for now!
Transition to a new ghost story… success.
Of course, since this taxi was itself a ghost story, I couldn't relax.
I quickly recalled the relevant wiki entry: The infamous ghost story called «Hellfare Taxi», a name that only suggests trouble regarding the fare.
I glanced ahead.
There it was… a golden, sun-shaped ornament with an intricate and sacred design, swaying slightly.
Confir—
No. Wait!
The driver looked up. In the reflection of the rearview mirror, eyes like the feathers of a raven were reflected beneath tufts of curly black hair. And in the right eye, was an elegant monocle.
"Estimated arrival time is 43 minutes." The taxi moved smoothly.
!!!
This wasn't what I had planned!
No! What is this?!?
There's supposed to be an ominous inverted golden cross there, representing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, not a miniature sun!
An anomaly I've never read about!
The adrenaline, which had previously subsided, surged back like cold currents of water, coursing unimpeded through every nerve in my spine.
This is bad… Very, very bad!
No!
Calm down!
Tick, tick, tick
The taximeter climbed rapidly.
[10,900]
[11,000]
[11,100]
Despite the discrepancy between what I was seeing and what the wiki said, the taximeter was still working as it should.
Discreetly, I glanced at the rearview mirror again, but this time focusing on the driver.
The wiki didn't specify the shared appearance of the four drivers, so I couldn't identify if the man in the driver's seat was who he was supposed to be. Therefore, the only anomaly I can immediately confirm is the sunburst ornament instead of the inverted cross.
I had no choice but to proceed with my plan, but more cautiously.
Trying to control my tense joints as best I can, I spoke. “…Mr. Driver.”
I couldn't waste any more time. I'll have to navigate a minefield with a map that might or might not be useful.
This ghost story, this taxi, imposes «supernatural misfortunes» instead of charging a monetary fare.
If the driver maintains a steady interest in the passenger and drives slowly, the meter will slowly climb, and the resulting 'misfortune' will be tolerable.
But on the other hand, the less interest the driver shows in the passenger, the faster the vehicle moves and the faster the meter climbs… well, obviously, the fare isn't something I want to experience.
At least all taxis will arrive on time, regardless of the vehicle's speed.
43 minutes. During that time, I'll have to keep the taxi driver interested.
In the Exploration Records, the following keywords were identified as topics of interest for each driver:
Number 1: Olympics, elections, pets, games, social media.
Number 2: War, mafia, action movies, vampire legends, firearms.
Number 3: Fine dining, agriculture, economic recessions, slum tourism, luxury goods.
Number 4: The afterlife, religious experiences, pandemics, mass murders, ■■■.
The usual strategy is to figure out which driver you're dealing with as quickly as possible during the first few interactions.
The problem?
I don't know if this anomaly will invalidate my initial plan.
But there's no other option. The only way to find out will be through conversation.
"Mr. Passenger." From the front seat, a low voice comes out, difficult to discern the exact age and emotions. However, as he speaks, the driver glances in the rearview mirror, directly at me.
"……"
That sends shivers down my spine. The other continues.
"I have to ask, how was your day?"
Huh?
"It was a normal workday."
"Mmm."
The driver will never explicitly mention his preferred topics; he'll only ask questions. The taximeter speaks for him.
[11,500]
[12,000]
[12,400]
[12,900]
Completely out of control.
Even so, I respond fluently and nonchalantly with my next sentence. “But I almost died at work today.”
“…”
“I nearly became a fresh product trying to buy meat at a butcher shop.”
For half a second, I glanced at the taximeter.
[13,000]
Apparently, the core functionality of this ghost story remains unchanged.
“Luckily, the shop owner was a vegetarian. I traded a few items and left. I even won the bargain and got some cash.”
“…”
The driver’s fingers, drumming on the steering wheel, slowed, as did the vehicle’s speed.
“So what happened next?” The other man asked.
[13,100]
“I headed down the back alley.” It worked. “I found a shop with interesting VIP products at exorbitant prices. I actually scared my colleagues into thinking I was going to pay the full price.”
Even though it's an anomaly, my approach is to keep him entertained with whatever.
Meanwhile, I'm trying not to glance at the strange, almost too sacred, golden sun ornament.
[13.300]
"After all, the last six months have been full of ridiculous adventures."
"Mm."
Just as I was expecting another question to keep the conversation going, the driver with the monocle went strangely silent.
[13.700]
[14.200]
I swallowed discreetly. What's wrong? Was I doing something wrong? Did I make a mistake?
Just as I was about to clench my fists…
"Oh! Sounds like home."
…Huh?
"Turning the wrong corner and seeing something weird, yeah, it happens often where I come from." The taxi driver looks up more and… smiles? He also adjusted his monocle. “Although that doesn’t happen as often as it used to.”
“…”
My mind went blank for a second.
The four drivers wouldn’t respond with these kinds of comments expressing their thoughts; they would just keep asking questions to show their interest.
This…
“Really? You too?” But my mouth broke into words when I realized something. “With such busy lives, people should take vacations.”
“Of course.” The driver nodded. “That’s why, at one point, I took a few years for myself and traveled.” A pause followed by a chuckle that vibrated with irony. “Or rather, I was forced to take those gap years.”
“…” In the periphery of my vision, I noticed the number on the taximeter.
[14,200]
Since the driver had been talking about himself, the number didn’t slow down; it stopped completely.
This confirms it.
This driver is not one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
And…
“Were you forced? Why?” I asked back.
The driver shook his head, his playful voice unchanged. “It was a mandatory request from my zealous brother. According to him, it would do me good to ‘learn something.’ Heh, although I reluctantly agreed, between you and me, Mr. Passenger, it was an interesting experience.”
[14,200]
Bingo.
I found a way to handle this anomalous ghost story.
Show interest in what the monocled driver has to say.
Actually, this could be easier.
Tiltling my head, I asked curiously. “Is he an older brother? Older brothers tend to proclaim that they are the best for the younger ones.”
“Yes, he was.”
Was.
Oh.
My expression darkened. “I’m sorry to hear it.”
The driver shrugged, still smiling. “It’s been a while.” He glanced at the golden sunburst ornament. His eyes seemed to dim for less than a second before returning to normal. “Something I’ve learned on my travels is that not everything lasts forever, including family. Like my father.”
“…”
“Well,” The taxi driver adjusted his monocle absentmindedly. “I don’t think about it much, I keep busy.”
“Busy with this job?”
“Indeed.”
“How did you end up being a taxi driver?”
The driver’s grin widened. “I started as a joke in the fake hometown of someone with suicidal tendencies.”
“…”
“Afterwards, I moved to my goddaughter’s city.” The driver’s right finger tapped the steering wheel more enthusiastically. “Then, my goddaughter told me to ‘go touch grass somewhere else.’ And here I am!”
“…” There were so many strange things about that story. Sure, he’s a ghost story; there’s no point in trying to find human logic in it.
However… it also seemed as if the monocled driver was consciously being vague. Like censoring.
[14,400]
“Maybe your goddaughter meant you should find another job.” I continued the conversation, adding random deductions. “It sounds like you’ve been working the same job for a long time now, and what if she wanted you to look for something new?”
“You think so? Haha, Mr. Passenger, you make it sound like my goddaughter cares about me.”
“…” Ignoring the sweat on my palms, I smiled, showing a fair amount of embarrassment. “Isn't that the case? I apologize if I sound nosy.”
“It doesn’t matter.” The driver took his right hand off the wheel to make a nonchalant gesture. “If my goddaughter were here, the answer would be no. Oh, but I do worry about him!"
…Him?
“How could I not? I watched him grow up.” The driver pretends to wipe away a tear, his movements and voice clearly exaggerated and mocking.
I debated internally whether to ask about the gender discrepancy, but decided to ignore it. “Sounds like a complicated relationship.”
“Mr. Passenger, is there anything in this life that's simple?” A chuckle. “Where I come from, nothing is.” His jet-black eyes narrow into crescents and look back at me through the reflection. “Some even deceive themselves into ignoring the details that would shatter what they take for granted.”
He smiles, as if about to tell a joke inappropriate for humans. “It only takes one word, phrase, or glance for the simple to become terrifying.”
……??? Such strange words, which suddenly changed the tone of the conversation, gave me a profound sense of foreboding.
Why is he looking directly at me?…
“Ah! But if we're talking about complicated interpersonal relationships, my zealous brother beats me.”
The taxi driver's energetic tone, revealing how his brother had made several enemies, was so absurd that it made me forget my previous strange feeling.
“What's more…”
...Huh???
It turns out that his goddaughter (whose gender I still can't confirm) killed the driver's brother, and the driver saw his brother's remains fall like shooting stars.
“But I managed to salvage this.”
However, the driver took a part of his brother's body —he emphasized part of his body— a golden, sun-shaped ornament with a sacred design.
“It used to shine so brightly; a regular passenger used to complain about it.”
“…” I had to forcefully suppress the jerk of my neck that was about to make, not wanting to see that golden sunburst ornament again.
Ghost stories never change.
“I think it sounds exhausting to deal with.” I commented to distract myself.
The monocled driver hummed for a moment before continuing. “Maybe? Things are quieter now. Ha, almost like they were back in my old job.” He changed the subject smoothly, almost sounding nostalgic. Emphasis on the almost.
Surprisingly, this taxi driver used to be… an aristocrat? A duke, no less.
“Those were good times.” He said it without much emotion to show.
The peace lasted a long time until a continental war broke out, and its leader, a half-mad emperor, died, causing the empire to crumble.
That's where I found my opening. “But isn't it supposed to be that if the monarch falls, a descendant, or at least the most powerful family, tries to safeguard the lands and the system?”
“How observant, Mr. Passenger!” The driver praised me, sort of. “That would be the case if it weren't for the fact that the entire bloodline descended into madness.”
“…”
“And as for the dukes… two of my co-workers disappeared, and I was hunted down.” He shrugged, downplaying a tragic anecdote. “At that point, there was nothing left to safeguard.”
“I… see.” What have I gotten myself into?! “Those other two dukes were never found?”
“Yes, they were.” The other nodded before tilting his head, as if trying to recall the events more vividly. “One died in my arms when he returned, and the other is currently enjoying a peaceful life with his sister on a remote island.” He sighed. “But he wants nothing to do with people from his past.”
And speaking of the past, the taxi driver proceeded to talk about his former nanny, how awful he was, and made a joke about how his father thought hiring someone 'of that nature' as a caregiver would be a good idea.
At this rate, I'll be the one who ends up half-crazy like that emperor...
Throughout the whole process, I made sure the other man kept talking nonstop while I maintained the delicate balance between paying attention and not thinking about it too much. It was exhausting.
But the more the driver talked, the more a strange, almost comical thought grew. Almost.
At some point, when I was already quite dizzy from following the thread of his anecdotes with their dubious connections…
"Oh, we're here."
The taxi stopped.
Click.
The rear door latch opened, and the tinted window rolled down, revealing a familiar sight… It was the nighttime landscape of Seoul Station.
Ah…! I felt such relief that I almost cried.
Although I wanted to get out immediately, I had to pay the fare first. I glanced at the number.
[20,000]
[20,100]
Click.
The monocled driver stopped the taximeter.
[20,200]
I did it…!
Getting below 30,000 was only possible on short 10-minute trips, and that was under normal «Hellfare Taxi» conditions. The fact that it was so low, in such a long time, and in such an unprecedented situation, was a huge victory!
“Time to pay the fare.” The taxi driver reached behind him, handing us a check.
20,200 / Code 1
Fare Code 1: Illness
– Two days of fever and a headache.
Good. This was totally manageable.
Then I noticed something extra at the bottom of the check. There was something else handwritten in blue ink.
[As a bonus for the passenger's exemplary behavior, the taxi driver ■■■■ Li■ht at the Daw■ of the Ap■c■lyp■e steals a whole day of sickness 🧐]
???
This is… a bonus? Is that allowed?
Considering what I learned from the monocled driver, who clearly enjoys watching other people's reactions, I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was looking at me with a standard smile.
"Thank you." I meant it.
I clutched the check and bowed deeply to the driver before finally getting out of the taxi.
Haa…
The winter air felt incredibly refreshing—
Knock knock
……!
The driver's side window rolled down completely. "Mr. Passenger."
I nearly fainted right then and there. "Yes?"
In the senseless darkness that enveloped the entire taxi, I caught a glimpse of a smile unlike any I'd seen before.
"It was a pleasant conversation. You're a very good listener, much better than a certain suicidal person." The driver's gloved hand drummed rhythmically on the steering wheel. "My zealous brother would say that sometimes it's good to skip a little, and since you helped me with that, I'll give you some free advice." He gestured for me to come closer to the window.
My blood ran cold and I instinctively glanced at Section Chief Lizard, who hadn't uttered a single word since we left that shop on Death Lane.
Lee Jaheon stared at the monocled driver, then at me, and without saying a word, nodded.
Of course, I understood the unspoken words.
Don't let your guard down.
So, I approached the window, on high alert, and leaned in slightly…
“Be careful what you wish for.”
!!!!!
Instinctively, I backed away, alarmed, very alarmed!
The driver simply adjusted his monocle, smiled, rolled up the window, and started the black vehicle, disappearing from Seoul Station in an instant, leaving behind only the red image of the sign.
“……”
What… What was that? How could he…
For some reason, I checked the check, specifically the blue letters, as if searching for something.
What I assumed to be the taxi driver's name was heavily censored; however, the rest was somewhat legible if you filled in the covered spaces manually.
«Light at the Dawn of the Apocalypse»?
Apocalypse.
Could this have something to do with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? It sounds more like their counterpart…
But that doesn't explain how the anomalous taxi driver knew about the wish… And if he warned me, it's because he somehow knows something bad could happen.
Kim Soleum looks up at where the taxi had been, feeling very conflicted and terrified.