I’m the Only One Who Can’t See Ghosts

1 – It was Summer

Honestly, I thought it was a hidden camera prank.

When I was in middle school, suddenly the kids started screaming and running out of the classroom. The teacher, flustered, tried to stop them but took a few steps back upon seeing ‘something’ himself.

Having seen this kind of thing in Japanese hidden camera pranks, I thought that I wouldn’t fall for this boring hidden camera and just sat there quietly. But since the teacher tried to drag me along, I had no choice but to run away with him.

The principal teacher called out in a tearful voice for everyone to return home safe and meet again, and as I saw abandoned cars scattered everywhere on the way back, I realized that this wasn’t a hidden camera prank.

Since that day, people have gained the ability to see souls. I’m talking about those things that were originally called fortune tellers or ghosts that could be seen.

Of course, I still can’t see ghosts.

* * *

Still, I pretend to see ghosts. If you ask why I live like that, the only answer I can give is that it’s a proverbial hitting the nail on the head. Since the day when everyone awakened their sixth sense, the world engulfed in madness and fear has not forgiven the proverbial nail.

There was a video where a boy from America was being tormented because he looked like a demon. The boy cried and claimed that he wasn’t a demon, but people tried to cast out the demon while holding a cross and reciting the Bible. One of them was the boy’s own mother.

Then, a man couldn’t endure the fear any longer and fired a shotgun at the boy, but luckily, the boy managed to dodge all the bullets and killed the man with his clenched fist. Yet the boy continued to cry.

People couldn’t see the physical body inside the soul. No matter how much the boy claimed that he hadn’t changed, people couldn’t see his tears.

The comments on the video were as follows:

＜That guy who looks like that should be sent straight to the gallows. We should get rid of him quickly while he’s still young.＞

This was the most popular comment.

All the comments had similar reactions.

“Huu.”

I looked at the mirror. A fairly handsome guy in a suit was forcing a awkward smile. Of course, the fairly handsome guy here is none other than me. I’ve objectively received recognition for being good-looking, so let’s just go with that.

“If I fail this interview today, my luck is really done for…”

This is already my thirtieth interview. If I don’t make it into this company, I might have to start living on the streets from the next company onwards. There are already enough weird sorcerer (from my perspective, psychic) guys taking up all the part-time jobs, so there isn’t a suitable place to work either.

They say that those guys take in seemingly soulless beings and exploit them for free labor. Honestly, I don’t know if souls really exist, but upon hearing that, I couldn’t help but think that capitalism is scarier than wandering even in death. To think that you have to do part-time jobs even after you die.

“But still, I’m grateful to have a place like this.”

Even though I live in a newly built studio apartment on the outskirts of Seoul, I only pay a meager monthly rent including maintenance fees.

Of course, there were minor issues like noise at night or having to clean the hallway myself.

But aside from those points, it was a really cool studio apartment. Even though it was such a cool place to live, there were only three neighbors. This is probably a place where ghosts come out.

This was the composition of my neighbors:

Jam Soon, who ran away from home and a guy who drinks with a bottle every day. And one crazy lady who lives in the basement.

They were a group of human beings that you could see anywhere. But still, after living together for a few years, I had built some affection for them.

“No, sir. Sleeping on the street again instead of a perfectly good house.”

I had built enough affection for the guy that I even woke him up from sleeping in the hallway after getting drunk.

“Ugh, ugh. Huh. Ah, is it morning?”

“Yes, it’s morning.”

The man stumbled to his feet. He didn’t smell like alcohol, but his furrowed brow indicated a severe hangover headache.

No way, could he have been possessed by a ghost?

Lately, he hasn’t had these episodes in the officetel.

“hahahahaha, it’s been so long since I’ve experienced something like this. I haven’t even had this kind of experience when I went on a trip to hell.”

A trip to hell? Is he talking about some kind of military training like UDT hell week? I haven’t heard anything about this man being in the military.

I supported the stumbling man.

He didn’t seem like someone who had been possessed by a ghost, as he was speaking clearly.

“But why are you perfectly fine?”

“···?”

“Even I had a tough night. But why are you so fine? What, huh, why wasn’t there any knowledge about a monster like you?”

“I didn’t even drink with you yesterday. Sir, please come to your senses.”

Suddenly, I was being referred to as a monster because of my drinking capacity.

Maybe he mistook me for someone who drank with him yesterday.

Could this be alcohol-induced dementia?

Or perhaps he’s possessed by a ghost.

But that couldn’t be it, right?

It wasn’t the season for this officetel to have episodes.

The episode season was last week, so it must be true that the man was acting like this because he drank too much.

After roughly leaving the next-door neighbor at his house, I walked down the street.

I passed through the dimly lit corridor and took the elevator. It made a creaking sound, but what more could you expect from a 50,000 won living space?

“But even in Seoul, it’s ridiculous that there’s no delivery service.”

No buses or taxis come to the area near the officetel where I live. Even the commercial district here seems to have completely collapsed, leaving only empty buildings in the vicinity. After walking down the alley for a few minutes, I finally arrived at a place where I could smell people.

To call it a place with the smell of people, there were secondhand shops with numerous talismans stuck on the walls and doors.

“Each of those talismans must cost over 100,000 won. They’re worth more than the price of a house.”

The fortune-tellers who drew those talismans,

They probably own an apartment in Gangnam now.

Being a mediocre fortune-teller who worships spirits was a profession that earned more money than a doctor. Even politicians scrambled to appease the high-ranked fortune-tellers.

Ha, who knew being a fortune-teller would become such a lucrative job. In the past, I was somewhat involved with fortune-tellers.

Now it’s all in the past.

“···.”

Sometimes, just thinking about it would stab my heart.

Without naming the stabbing feeling, I boarded the bus.

* * *

“Mr. Yu Hajin?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm. Your soul seems quite ordinary. Do you have any special abilities by any chance?”

“I, I don’t have any special abilities, but I have special dedication!”

“Oh. I see.”

Within 10 minutes of the interview starting, I realized.

That once again, I had failed the interview.

“Oh, wow. Your body muscles are incredible.”

“Yes. My soul is partially shaped like a gorilla.”

With those words, the man tapped his chest. From what I saw, this man seemed stronger than me.

But the interviewers thought differently.

“You have remarkable strength.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, next to him. Do you have any abilities?”

“Yes. My ability is···.”

And from then on, I never received a single question until the interview ended.

After that, I ruined the interview and went to a convenience store. I bought a bag of discounted snacks and soju, then sat down.

“Life sucks.”

What could be more important than abilities in an IT company interview? Shouldn’t our ancestors help us with coding? Or maybe create a program to control those internet ghosts who only eat and write?

“But that wouldn’t happen.”

According to Zamsuni, there are unpaid administrators on those sites who manage those ghosts. I heard that the shining golden administrator monitors the site 24/7 without receiving any money.

“···In my opinion, that administrator is more like a ghost.”

I thought as I drank my soju.

Why don’t I have any abilities?

Why don’t even newborns have the ability to see ghosts?

“In an era where even a blind person can sense ghosts, why am I the only one…”

The drink is bitter.

I think it’s because I haven’t had one in a while.

I thought that as I grabbed a snack to eat.

Crash- Bang-

I heard a loud noise from a distance.

Along with it, I heard the sound of police sirens.

“Something’s happening again.”

It was an evening with the sound of loud noise and sirens.

Just an ordinary evening in Seoul.

Actually, dealing with psychic abilities or spiritual entities means having extraordinary abilities. Just like a strong psychic can turn a metal gate and spin it, a powerful psychic can turn a small city into a literal hell.

What would there be to fear from those strategic weapons walking around?

I wouldn’t even stand a chance against them. Of course, I would completely ignore the authority of the police.

Crash- Bang- Eventually, the police cars started to flee with loud sirens blaring. They’re scared that the citizens’ sticks might break.

When I looked back, even the convenience store employees were running away.

Ah, should I run away too?

But as I saw the appearance of the person walking with confidence, my desire to run away disappeared.

“Hey, mister…”

He was just a chubby middle-aged man dressed in a suit. He didn’t look particularly strong with his half-bald head and slightly hunched posture.

But his expression seemed extremely arrogant. It’s to the point that even if a god had that expression, it wouldn’t be fortunate.

“You pests. How dare you touch the business of the Lord of Heaven?”

His voice was a bit funny. But what happened afterwards wasn’t funny at all. It was because the female officer who was evacuating the citizens from a little distance away was caught by something unseen.

“Kyaaah!”

The person who was receiving help from the officer seemed to see something that others couldn’t, and panicked and started running away. Other people around also ran in fear as if there was a real monster nearby.

The trembling officer was trembling.

“Give me an excuse. Do you dare think that the sanctuary of the Lord of Heaven, who holds the heavens as his identity, can be tread upon by the slaves of secular power?”

“We, we were just following orders…”

The man burst into laughter at the officer’s excuse.

“Orders? Who gave the orders?”

“Ugh, please, how do I get rid of these tentacles? Ugh.”

“Tell me. If you tell me, I will release you.”

“I, I didn’t know that place was Lord Chunsudo’s establishment. A report came in saying that they gather girls to perform some kind of ceremony and turn them into puppets. And they either use or sell those girls.”

“Hm.”

The man muttered with a cold expression for a moment.

“There’s a traitor among us?”

“Sob, sob. Please, please release the tentacles.”

“Well, I should release them. As a disciple of Lord Do-ryeong, I should keep my promise.”

And the man’s expression became even more sly. And his hands naturally moved towards Yeokyung’s pants. That crazy bastard.

“But you’ll understand once you see my appearance, right? My line of work is a bit deep. So it’s a bit difficult if I don’t release it quickly. Hey, girl. If you stay quiet, it will be over soon.”

“I, I, I’m engaged.”

“Even better.”

Upon hearing those words, I smashed the soju bottle. On the floor, the idiot with his pants halfway down was bleeding from his head and sprawled out. It was summer.