Chapter 119: Reverse Tourism
Even the first floor, which had been used as a waiting room, was plunged into darkness.
The eerie atmosphere of the abandoned school, standing steadfast in the darkness, grew thicker as night deepened.
“We’ll go in at five-minute intervals.”
“So, the Jaeyoungdaram team goes first.”
“Once we go in, we just need to find the item and come right back, right?”
“Yes. There’s a box with each of your names on it. But if you can’t find it, you can’t leave.”
“Can’t leave?”
“If you give up midway, it’s a penalty.”
With ten people in total, divided into five teams, Muyoung and Duseok had to wait nearly a full thirty minutes.
Duseok pressed the back of his neck, as if feeling a chill creeping up.
“Ugh. Already feeling stiff.”
Waiting is just as agonizing as going in.
Muyoung smiled faintly and gently loosened Duseok’s neck. Helmets with action cameras were placed in front of the contestants. Everyone looked puzzled.
“No VJ going in with us?”
“No. It’s dark, so be careful. Here are flashlights.”
“Hey, what do you mean by that?”
Duseok, who had been listening quietly, suddenly jumped up in surprise.
Infrared cameras were thoroughly installed, so there were no issues with filming. The problem was his own courage.
“Oh no! Hongtae! Kim Hongtae!”
“If you’d like, we can play the audio from inside for those waiting. You might pick up some useful information.”
Like the grim reaper calling the dead, Duseok kept calling out the name of the producer in charge. But the funny thing was, he never called more than three times.
“Want to come with me, Kim Hongtae?”
“Yes! Now, let’s send off the first runner.”
The producer firmly shut down his antics and urged him forward.
The first team, unable to take a step forward, wandered around, Duseok letting out low groans.
“Is the first floor off-limits?”
“Yes. Just go from the second to the fifth floor.”
“Why such a wide range?”
Sizzle—
Eek!
Ah! Ah—! Ah!
Muyoung squatted down, listening to the sound effects with the sound director. The screams were incredibly vivid. Along with the cries, the sound effects of people screaming to their deaths exploded.
“So, we need to go all the way to the fifth floor.”
“Please! Let everyone fail to find their boxes!”
The previous teams would surely find the nearby items first.
They’d probably have to wander until the very last floor.
“……Sigh.”
At that moment, a man named Jen from the group Poosix turned pale, his hands fidgeting. He looked around, clearly anxious and not in a good state.
“Uh, are you okay?”
Muyoung whispered quietly.
“Huh? Oh. Yeah, yeah.”
Jen mumbled, avoiding the question. His slight smile seemed a bit forced. Then, MC Duseok looked at the camera, snapped out of it, and filled the audio.
“But Jen says he’s not scared of this kind of stuff.”
“He’s got such incredible charisma, right? Is that true?”
“Yeah. Jen’s the leader, so he’s got that tough guy vibe. He hardly ever gets startled. He fits this werewolf album concept perfectly.”
Toyori, another group member, answered instead. Jen just kept smiling. Typical. He’s got the image down pat—the silent, serious, macho leader and the chatty, lively youngest member.
“Hey! Let’s see a quick performance from Poosix!”
“Woo-hoo! Sure!”
“Go, Poosix!”
The two put on a brief dance and song performance on the abandoned school’s dirt floor, dressed as werewolves. That must be the real reason they came here.
“Next, the second team will go in.”
“Be right back.”
Toyori from Poosix went in, and time kept flowing without pause.
Muyoung stuck close to Duseok, keeping the audio filled by chatting and responding, continuing the shoot.
“Next, the Jenlulu team.”
“Yep.”
He pretended to be nonchalant as he stood up, but Muyoung noticed.
Jen’s hands were trembling.
Sure, even a regular school can be scary at night. But this is an abandoned school, just the two of them, and they know there are people dressed as ghosts inside. It’s enough to make anyone nervous.
“Muyoung’s pretty composed too.”
“I’m not scared of ghosts.”
“Then what are you scared of?”
“Hmm. Not sure.”
He’s good at catching bugs too.
Living in a semi-basement, he’d seen everything from cockroaches to centipedes, spiders, and even mice.
“Alright, Team Muyoung-Duseok!”
“Yes, we’re off! Teacher, shall we go?”
Muyoung sprang up like a coiled spring. After the long wait, he was ready to have some fun. In contrast, Duseok’s steps were as heavy as if he were wearing shackles.
‘It’s just an abandoned school, but I’ve never seen a ghost.’
It wasn’t a place close to death like a hospital, nor a property with a dark history… Muyoung glanced at the school in the darkness, checking the camera.
“This place is supposedly a famous haunted house.”
“Really?”
“Ugh. I can’t take it. How many teams have come out?”
“Everyone except Jen’s team. Here’s your flashlight.”
“Be right back—!”
Muyoung strode confidently inside.
Duseok’s hands, performing CPR, moved frantically. The production crew watched the clock as they sent the pair off.
“But why hasn’t Jen’s team come out yet?”
“They’re probably just taking their time.”
“Nothing’s wrong, right?”
“No strange noises on the audio.”
“Really? Okay then.”
Meanwhile, Team Muyoung-Duseok followed only the beam of their flashlight.
“Muyoung! Let’s stick together.”
“Teacher, the camera’s probably pointing somewhere important, right?”
Unlike Duseok, who walked stiffly, Muyoung looked around at the ceiling, checking the camera’s direction. It wasn’t hard to spot the glow-in-the-dark tape.
Creak—!
“Eek!”
Gulp!
At the mere sound of a classroom door opening, Duseok flinched and stepped back. The space was devoid of any human presence. The scattered desks and materials created an eerie atmosphere.
“This is too much. Really.”
Click.
“Aaaah!”
“Eeeek!”
While Muyoung felt around the desk, a person dressed as a ghost jumped out from the cabinet behind him. It was a very classic and cheesy method, but it seemed to work perfectly on Duseok.
“Teacher?”
Crash! Duseok ran outside without even looking back. The ghost, having successfully completed their task, turned to look at Muyoung. He smiled and closed the drawer.
“Hey, did you see the box with our names on it?”
“Uuuu……”
“You didn’t see it, huh? But since we’re the last team, you don’t have to stay in the cabinet anymore. It’s hot, right?”
The lack of response was almost comical.
The person dressed as a ghost approached, then awkwardly turned and returned to their spot.
“Teacherrr—”
How far had Duseok run off?
He might have even left the school grounds out of fear.
Muyoung briskly walked through the hallway, thoroughly searching every corner.
He then arrived at the third-floor restroom.
Sensing an unusual presence, he hesitated.
Tap-tap.
“Is anyone there?”
This feels weird. The energy here is off.
Since there’s no glow-in-the-dark tape, it’s probably not an important spot.
“Whoa.”
Inside, the scene was absurd.
Three or four ghosts without lower bodies were hanging from the top of the stall partitions, peering inside. They seemed to have found something incredibly amusing.
“Who’s in there?”
“Aaaah!”
“Ah! You startled me.”
Along with a familiar scream, the restroom stall door swung open. It was Jen. His legs were wobbly, and he clung to Muyoung’s arm like a trembling aspen.
“Are you okay?”
“Ma, my mic and camera…”
“Huh? This?”
He wanted them turned off? For reasons unknown, Muyoung granted his request.
As the red light on the devices went out, the hanging ghosts also turned their heads.
“Did you find your box? What are you doing here?”
“I, I lost track of Lulu sunbae, and I couldn’t do anything. I’m completely frozen. Hee-haw……”
At his sudden burst of tears, Muyoung blinked.
What? Could it be? He asked to turn off the camera and mic, and he’s hiding in the restroom…?
“Did you… soil yourself?”
“Not yet, but I really feel like I might.”
Whether it was Muyoung’s sincere question or Jen’s sincere answer…
He wiped his tear-stained face and kept sniffling. His form was faintly visible in the moonlight streaming through the window.
“Then just give up and come out.”
“That’s absolutely not an option…”
Because of his image.
He was just starting to establish himself. As an idol who lived off fans’ fantasies and love, and as a ‘beastly idol’ with a charismatic concept, no less.
“If I come out whimpering and nearly soiling myself, what would become of me? Hee-haw— I’m going crazy! F*ck!”
“Whoa. Your mouth’s as beastly as your image.”
“Ugh, I really didn’t want to come. I had no choice because of Otherworldly Smile.”
“Just ask them to edit it out!”
“I hate the rumors spreading, and more than anything, I’ll get scolded by the company. What were you thinking, getting scared like this… Hee-haw, f*ck, my fate.”
For such a big guy to be crying like that…
His fans would be pretty shocked if they saw this.
Muyoung scratched his chin, glancing at the ghosts behind him. If he mentioned them now, Jen might actually pass out.
“Then stick with me. I’m alone too since I lost Teacher Duseok. I’ll turn the camera and mic back on, so stop crying.”
He found the button with his fingertips.
The red REC light came back on. Muyoung casually clapped and acted for the camera, providing an edit point.
Smack!
“Phew. Something strange just happened. The camera and mic suddenly turned off… But luckily, I ran into Jen. Where did Teacher Duseok go… Did he abandon me…?”
You can’t miss the opportunity for a monologue in a variety show.
Jen’s face, obscured by the infrared camera, was barely visible. He took a deep breath and waved at Muyoung’s camera.
“How far have you searched?”
“Up to the middle of the third floor.”
“Ah, then let’s check beyond that.”
As Muyoung and Jen moved, the ghosts followed behind. They seemed to be having the time of their lives, enjoying the rare entertainment.
“Huh?”
“Why, why like that?”
“Uh…”
One ghost clung to the corner, arms raised.
Letting out an eerie wail.
Aaaah—
“It feels like something’s going to jump out from there.”
“Sigh…”
Muyoung signaled Jen to be quiet with a finger to his lips. Then, he crept forward, trying to make as little noise as possible. And suddenly—
“Boo!”
“Aaaah!”
A hidden staff member jumped out, startled, and fell backward.
“Hahaha. Oh, you got me. Are you okay?”
“Wh, how did you know?”
“Uh? I’m not supposed to say.”
“We, weeee……”
The staff member, startled out of their wits, stayed true to the setup. Hesitantly, they disappeared into the shadows. Muyoung gestured for Jen to follow.
“Let’s see, let’s see. Check over here! Oh, and the music room too.”
Such adorable ghosts.
Maybe because they’re school spirits? They all seemed so pure and cheerful.
They were making such a fuss, trying to help find both of their boxes.
Click—
‘Over here?’
The ghosts hovered around the teacher’s desk.
Muyoung pretended not to notice, casually opening the drawer.
“Oh. Found it.”
“You found it?”
“But it’s mine.”
“You, you’re not leaving, right?”
“Nope. Let’s keep looking together.”
Worried Muyoung might leave him behind, Jen clung to him with an anxious voice.
“Oh? I found Teacher Duseok’s too.”
“Watch out for the ceiling. Something might fall.”
“Aaaah! Hahaha!”
“Ghost! If you’re going to get startled, how are we supposed to handle it?”
Muyoung moved through the school as casually as if it were his own home. Not only did he spot traps, but he also startled the hidden ghosts multiple times, turning the tables on them.
“Jen! I found it!”
“Whoa! Thank you!”
“Let’s head out now. Ah— What a shame. It was fun.”
Fun? Jen looked at Muyoung as if he were some kind of alien. Outside the abandoned school, the staff gathered, waiting for them.
“Teacher Duseok! Where did you go?”
“Uhhh. I gave up. I’ll take the penalty.”
“Here, I collected all the remaining boxes. Ta-da—”
The boxes were dumped onto the floor with a clatter. The camera director tilted his head, asking the director,
“Which agency is he with? Did they tell him the locations?”
“No. Even Teacher Duseok doesn’t know, so why would they tell him?”
“This is the most bizarre footage we’ve gotten from any horror special. Seriously. The ghosts got startled instead.”
Everyone except Muyoung was drenched in sweat, as if they’d just taken a shower. After calculating the scores, the PD announced the final winner.
“Alright, adding the talk segment score and the adventure score, the winner is… Team Muyoung-Duseok. Congratulations.”
“Woo-hoo! Thank you!”
“But Teacher Duseok, since you gave up midway, you get the penalty.”
“If I’d known, I would’ve just followed Muyoung.”
“We’ll prepare the water bomb!”
Muyoung posed for the camera with a V sign, basking in the closing segment’s glory. In the background, Duseok was hit with a water slap.
Splat!—
“Brr— So cold.”
“Great job, everyone!”
“Thank you!”
Muyoung politely thanked the staff and hosts, wrapping up the shoot.
And two weeks later.
After Otherworldly Smile aired, an unprecedented reaction exploded on MeTube.
[(MVC Otherworldly Smile Ep. 512) Young Blood’s Rebellion! Special Guest Ha Muyoung, Poosix Soy! What Happened at the Abandoned School? Ghosts Got Startled Instead… Why Are You Scared?]
Click—
-Whoa? Is Ha Muyoung for real?
-His heart must be made of steel. There’s a reason he seems so mentally tough.
-Ghosts have the toughest job;; How did he know what was behind him? Did they feed him the script?
-Nope, Otherworldly Smile doesn’t use scripts.
-This is the first time I’ve seen a horror special like this? So fresh.
-LOL, really. Seeing him laugh and walk around instead of just screaming is so interesting.
-So, the conclusion is one thing. Ha Muyoung is a ghost, dd
Laughing and wreaking havoc in the abandoned school, not to mention scaring the hidden staff… A full 15 minutes of Muyoung’s segment was aired.