"Whew—"
Already the fourth one....
My lungs are just rotting away.
Throughout the entire break, Naviq's conversation had kept me from sleeping properly.
I know I have my own circumstances, and I know full well Naviq's advice isn't given without reason.
I looked at my phone screen.
[Search: ]
Search History:
—Cheongong Logistics Service
—SkyGo Cargo employee disappearance
—Gospel of Matthew Greek original
—Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 1
Dreams aside, the reasons I can't quit this place have only grown.
"Haha......"
I was letting out an empty laugh and reaching for a new cigarette when about ten text notifications blared in rapid succession.
[First Officer Gong Gyedo: Cheong-cheong-cheong-cheongho.]
[First Officer Gong Gyedo: Yuja-cheongiiii.]
[First Officer Gong Gyedo: Whatcha doooing.]
[First Officer Gong Gyedo: Days off, sooo jealous~~?]
[First Officer Gong Gyedo: Actually I'm off too★★]
[First Officer Gong Gyedo: The playground equipment is really nice these days?]
[First Officer Gong Gyedo: Sent a photo.]
"What the."
The text that followed had a single photo attached—a sky-blue elephant slide and a lime-green swing set.
'That's the playground in our apartment complex!?'
The very playground near the smoking area where I was lighting up right now.
"How is this even—"
"Found you."
The man from the texts was standing right behind me, poking my cheek with one finger.
The First Officer's black sunglasses caught the light and sparkled.
Wow, I nearly cursed from the shock.
"H-how did you know this place...?"
"Your address is on your resume, isn't it?"
"You came here based on that? Is that even allowed...."
"Hahaha! Of course it's not!"
I was too dumbfounded to say another word.
On top of that, the First Officer called the apartment complex pretty and grabbed my arm, insisting we take a walk.
He strolled around the apartment playground, drawing out one long "wow~" after another.
After passing the playground and crossing about two blocks, I couldn't hold back and spoke first.
"Did Naviq tell you anything, by any chance?"
"Mm, bingo. There are no secrets between us. Naviq was worried you were dealing with something serious."
"Haha, I think I just caused unnecessary worry."
"So quit hiding it and just come out with it. It's eating you up inside, Yuja-cheong."
The First Officer sat down on a nearby bench, crossing his legs.
"The cold case—it's connected to you, isn't it? Come on, let's hear the reason."
Does this man use telepathy or something?
Looking at him, it was clear he planned to plant himself on that bench and not budge until I talked.
"Keeping your mouth shut? Want me to take a guess?"
The First Officer lightly pushed his sunglasses up and back down.
"First, it started as simple curiosity. You said you got interested because it was a cold case, but through what you heard from Doyeong and Naviq, you figured something out?"
"That's—"
"Family-related? Or someone close to you got caught up in it?"
An involuntary gasp slipped out before I could stop it. Only then did the First Officer curl one corner of his mouth up in satisfaction.
He really is a mind reader.
All he did was read my expression and hear a few details, and he put it all together?
...After that reaction, denying it would be even harder. But the First Officer might offer a different approach....
'Haah, I'm truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.'
"...The Cheongong Logistics Service from the cold case. Publicly known as 'SkyGo Cargo.'"
I sat down next to the First Officer and barely managed to speak.
"So that's what it is. And?"
"The truth is... that's where my uncle worked. He went missing a few years ago. Since the timing overlaps with the cold case, I kept digging, and...."
I squeezed my eyes shut and said it.
"I'm almost certain my uncle is one of those missing employees."
The First Officer listened quietly, then smiled and exhaled softly.
"I was wondering what was up, and it was something like this. Family, no less. As you'd expect, Yuja-cheong, if the cold case involves family, especially—"
"I know. ...I shouldn't dig any further."
"Exactly. Gam Doyeong didn't get rejected from the Special Task Force for nothing. It's because he can't act rationally."
As expected.
"Naviq showed you the paper found at the scene. The Bible verse in ancient Greek."
"Yes. Matthew Chapter 4, Verse 1."
"About that—there were actually a few more pieces discovered at the time. And the item that the Cheongong employees were delivering that day was none other than a mirror."
"A mirror?"
"A massive mirror with an intricately carved cross, well taller than a grown man. Anything beyond that, only the Special Task Force knows. And the reason I came all the way here is to tell you that they'll be recruiting new members for the Task Force soon."
"Is that really true!? No wait, more importantly—why are you telling me all this...?"
The First Officer sprang up from the bench.
"Because the more people try to stop you, the more likely you are to dig dangerously on your own. It'd be better to dig properly and legitimately. That's my conclusion."
"Legitimately?"
"However, applying for the Special Task Force requires a recommendation letter from a superior. Given it's a special assignment, only three more people are being recruited, so not just anyone can get in. Your pay will increase too, of course."
"...All I need is a superior's recommendation letter."
The First Officer glanced at my reaction, smirked, and continued.
"If you want it, I can write that letter for you."
My eyes went wide. The surprises just kept coming—my jaw nearly dropped.
"But there are three conditions."
"Three?"
"The Task Force recruitment is about three months from now. Still some time left, right? In between, there'll be the 32nd class's first performance review. Making top employee there is the first condition."
The First Officer held up three fingers with confidence.
"Yes, understood. No matter what it takes."
"Okay, good attitude. Second—clear at least five more ghost stories. Type 1 or Type 2, doesn't matter. They'll all go into your performance report anyway, so it's best to knock them out."
"Five ghost stories in three months, plus top employee. Understood."
When I nodded, the First Officer laughed as if I were hopeless.
"Lastly, keep all of this a secret. Naviq gets an exception, but absolutely keep it from Doyeong and Huiyeon. If they find out, they'll block you from joining the Task Force. You'll only be hurting yourself."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
"And if word gets out that I said any of this, I can't imagine what those two would do to me.... Ugh, terrifying."
The First Officer cycled through one horrified expression after another at the mere thought.
'Senior Gam Doyeong's personality is... well, predictable. But Senior Bae Huiyeon has an icy aura to begin with—she might actually be scarier than him.'
The First Officer held out a fist with a "Got it?" and I gave a short nod before bumping it with mine.
And so, our secret pact began.
The eight-day break—short if you called it short, long if you called it long—was over before I knew it.
'I'll help where I can, so for now, just focus on what's in front of you. That's my advice.'
Those were the First Officer's last words at the bench that day. I decided to follow them.
'Right, overthinking it will only interfere with work.'
I straightened my freshly pressed shirt and tie, steeled my resolve, and headed out.
"Cheongho, it's raining hard today so take an umbrella. Be careful on the flight. Whether a plane can even take off properly in weather like this... no, that's bad luck, forget I said that, forget it."
"Haha, it'll be fine. See you later."
The moment I stepped outside, ink-black storm clouds filled the entire sky.
SHHHHH.
The rain wasn't heavy yet, but sheets of it poured down fiercely, soaking the toes of my shoes.
'Let's make today's flight a safe one.'
Come to think of it, these used to be days where all I wanted was to fly. Now they might become days where I'm actually hoping for ghost stories, all for that recommendation letter.
I'd come to regret having that absurd thought before I even cleared the security checkpoint.
***
"Looks like you're with me today. I've heard the rumors about the ace—looking forward to working together."
"Likewise, Senior."
"Well, let's get to it."
Today's supervisor was Senior Kwon Hoyeong—light brown hair with narrow, fox-like eyes.
Cheonsu Airlines had about twenty-eight Cabin Managers, and this was the first one I'd met besides Senior Kang Naju.
His necktie bore a silver wing-shaped tie bar, and like Kang Naju, he had the badge that marked a Cabin Manager.
"Everyone, please come to the briefing room."
Unlike the resolute Kang Naju or the fierce Gam Doyeong, he had a calm, quiet demeanor.
"Cheongho! Finally, our first flight together. It's a medium-to-long-haul—let's give it our all!"
"Right, looking forward to it."
Our team consisted of five: myself, Kwon Hoyeong in charge, So Hyena, and two other flight attendants.
For the first time, I'd be flying with my classmate So Hyena.
Her neat black bob and light, understated makeup were impeccable, and her uniform was just as crisp—not a single crease.
"Today's just a regular flight, not a ghost story, so don't overdo it. Let's both work hard!"
"Nobody else I'd rather have as a classmate."
So Hyena beamed and headed into the briefing room.
Soon, the Thailand-bound briefing began.
"I'll begin the briefing. So Hyena, please present today's procedures and special notes."
"Yes. Today is CQ767 to Chiang Mai, Thailand. The estimated flight time is six hours and fifteen minutes. We depart Doseong International Airport at 16:15 and are scheduled to arrive at Chiang Mai International Airport at 20:30 local time."
"Understood."
"Intermittent rain is also forecast for Chiang Mai, so there may be turbulence during landing. This route gets many customs declaration questions, so please be well-versed in the basics."
So Hyena's briefing was clean and hit all the key points—a solid briefing.
After the short, roughly ten-minute briefing, we headed straight for the departure area.
Thankfully the rain hadn't gotten worse, so it looked like we'd depart on time without delays.
Passport and crew ID... okay.
Everything packed without a single item missing.
"Wait, wait! Just a moment, please!"
"Oh my, Siun?"
"What are you doing here...?"
Everything had been perfect—at least until Jeong Siun's frantic shout.
Just before we were about to pass through the crew-only corridor, Jeong Siun came sprinting through the crowd of tourists from far away, clutching a sky-blue folder.
"What's going on?"
"Hff, haahh, it's an emergency notice. Something just came up—this Chiang Mai flight is connected to a ghost story."
"An emergency notice?"
When Kwon Hoyeong asked in bewilderment, Jeong Siun caught his breath and spoke clearly.
"We've received a report that a person possessed by a ghost story is scheduled to board the 16:15 departure to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Special instructions: 'Swift resolution requested.'"
What kind of situation is this...!?
Not only was a ghost story dropping on us through an emergency notice, but now a ghost-story-possessed person was involved.
"Senior, does this kind of thing actually happen?"
"It's not common, but it does happen on occasion...."
Kwon Hoyeong, too, was clearly flustered.
"Here's the emergency report."
Jeong Siun handed out papers from the sky-blue folder.
Ghost Story Briefing Report
[Cheonsu Airlines / no. 460]
1. GN: Ghost Story Possessee
2. T / H: Type 1 / 5 persons
—A passenger possessed by a ghost story has been identified as scheduled to board CQ767, departing 16:15 for Chiang Mai, Thailand.
—The possessee is estimated to be a male in his early twenties.
3. TL: 2 hours
4. Item: Sedative
Report Supervisor: [ Kwon Hoyeong ]
Roughly one hour remained until boarding. The time limit on the report was two hours....
"I was under the impression that the ghost story ends when the time limit is reached—does that include the possessee?"
"No. The possessee remains as-is, and the item listed in the report becomes useless. It's essentially a golden hour—best case, we resolve it before takeoff. If we miss this window, there's no telling what might happen mid-flight. That's why the special instructions... haah...."
Kwon Hoyeong pressed his brow and sighed.
Which meant, We might have to fly with a ghost story on board.
"Then the passengers...."
"Could be in danger."
Seriously—worst case, this could go sideways fast.
I'd experienced a ghost story dropped on us as an emergency before, like the Moving Walkway Ghost Story.
'But a Type 1, with passengers in the same space.'
The bad thoughts kept piling up, and I found myself biting my lip.
CLAP.
Kwon Hoyeong slapped both cheeks with his palms to steady himself, then addressed everyone.
"I'll begin a new briefing. Everyone, focus. Siun, thank you for your work."
Jeong Siun bowed respectfully to Kwon Hoyeong, then looked at So Hyena and me, clenching his fist in a "hang in there" pose.
"Would you like to stay and help?"
"Mm, Cheongho, fighting...!"
Right now, I truly envied Siun.
"Briefing. I'm Kwon Hoyeong, and I'll be supervising. As stated, the GN is Ghost Story Possessee. Type and headcount are Type 1 and five persons. All we currently know is that the subject is a male in his early twenties, and the time limit is two hours. Given that the item is a sedative, the objective is to subdue the subject."
Everyone listened intently to Kwon Hoyeong, tension radiating from every face.
Just then, a man in a dark purple cap and gray vest strode up briskly.
He handed something to Kwon Hoyeong.
"Thank you."
"Good luck."
Kwon Hoyeong received it casually, but when I looked at the man again, a purple swallow logo was stitched onto one side of his vest.
And the Chinese characters written below it.
'Cheongong (天空) Logistics Service!'