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Minutes before Kim Soleum left for what he had assumed was a solo assignment, he learned that he was to be joined by another member of the Field Exploration Team. Or rather, Kim Soleum would be joining them—because this colleague of his had already entered the Darkness ahead of him.
I’m saved!
Relief washed over Kim Soleum. He wouldn’t have to be alone in a ghost story after all.
Yet the good news also sent a prickle of unease down his spine. It was suspicious, to say the least, that the Research Team had waited so long to inform him of such crucial information. Kim Soleum would go so far as to say that they had intentionally obfuscated that detail from him, because up until now the researchers had spoken of this assignment as if it were his sole responsibility. But he didn’t dare question the decision, in case they chose to send him into some other Darkness on his own in retaliation. It was best not to rock the boat, especially as a new hire who had only been on the job for a month.
He was curious about one thing, though.
“Section Chief, may I ask who the other person is?”
“You may not,” Lee Jaheon replied, his reptilian eyes unblinking.
… Because you’re not allowed to tell me, or because you don’t know?
There was no more time left for chit-chat, so Kim Soleum thanked Lee Jaheon for relaying the Research Team’s message to him and began making his way to the entry site of the Darkness.
Today's assignment was a D-grade Darkness that came with a thoroughly documented manual. Kim Soleum was only able to skim the manual once before preparing to leave, but it mattered little to him, because he had recognized the creepypasta immediately from its keywords.
======================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Playing House]
: A ghost story featured in the <Dark Exploration Records>. Its Daydream Inc. identification code is Qterw-D-1208.
Based on the traditional children's make-believe game, participants take on the role of the parents to a supernatural entity in this D-Class Darkness. Failure to properly care for the entity may result in ◼️◼️ or worse.
This ghost story can be accessed from any high-rise residential building with a working elevator.
======================
The method for clearing this Darkness was tried and true: Act as a happy family and fulfill your “child’s” physical, mental, and emotional needs. If successful, it should be possible to exit the Darkness after the entity falls asleep in the evening.
Naturally, Playing House was a ghost story that required two people to clear. One could in theory enter alone, but as far as Kim Soleum knew, Daydream had always sent its employees into this Darkness in pairs. Why, then, had the Research Team led Kim Soleum to believe he would be entering this Darkness on his own? And, more importantly, who was the mysterious colleague waiting for Kim Soleum to arrive?
Being the only woman on D-squad, Assistant Manager Eun Haje was the most obvious candidate to play the mother role in this creepypasta make-believe game. But it couldn’t be Eun Haje, because she had requested to take the day off weeks ago. The faces of all the women colleagues who Kim Soleum was acquainted with cycled through his mind. He hoped that it would be Go Yeongeun, who was a friendly face as well as one of the more levelheaded and normal employees in this company.
I’ll find out soon enough.
After carefully pressing the elevator buttons in a specific sequence and rhythm, Kim Soleum felt himself being transported upwards, reaching floors that by all means shouldn’t have existed based on the height of the residential building he had entered. It was the longest elevator ride that he had ever been on, but after a while, the doors finally opened.
The instructions from the manual repeated in Kim Soleum’s head.
Exit the elevator on the 666th floor. Your apartment will be four doors to the left.
Go directly to your apartment unit.
Do not look behind you.
Do not attempt to enter the other units.
Ignore the voices. Yes, even that one—especially that one.
Do not look behind you.
As he approached his apartment door, Kim Soleum brought out the house key given to him by the company. The notches on the key didn't look right for the keyhole, but once he rotated the doorknob, the door somehow opened.
When Kim Soleum entered the apartment, the lights were already on and there were sounds coming from both the kitchen and the living room.
“I'm home!”
From the direction of the kitchen came a sharp clang, the noise of something being dropped on the floor and then picked up again. Kim Soleum heard hurried footsteps stomping towards him before he saw someone emerging from behind a corner. Their eyes met—or rather, both of Kim Soleum's eyes met the other person's one eye.
It was his dorm roommate, Baek Saheon.
The two of them stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, both thinking the exact same thing.
Why the fuck is it you?!?
This had to be some sort of mistake. Kim Soleum had never read any exploration log for this Darkness that featured two men or women, and the manual that he had received from the company even made a point to specify a mixed-gender team as one of the entry requirements. How could that very same company send Kim Soleum and Baek Saheon into this Darkness together?
A small, shadowy figure peeking out from the corner opposite the kitchen broke their shared trance. It was the entity, the supernatural being responsible for this ghost story.
Shit.
Cold sweat began to form on Kim Soleum’s back. With his “child” directly observing him, assessing his qualifications as a parent, he knew he had to act fast.
“Jagiya, I'm home!” he repeated, looking right at Baek Saheon.
Kim Soleum removed his coat and held it out, gesturing for Baek Saheon to take it from him. As soon as Baek Saheon came within earshot distance, Kim Soleum whispered, “Kiss me.”
Having read the manual for this Darkness, Baek Saheon understood immediately, though from the grimace on his face it was clear that he was deeply unhappy with the command. He cursed under his breath as he leaned in to give Kim Soleum a quick peck on the cheek, and then recoiled as if he had been burned by fire.
“Welcome home,” Baek Saheon said with a forced smile.
It was a good thing that this creepypasta didn't have an audience, otherwise his shoddy acting skills would have been ripped to shreds by supernatural netizens on whatever form of social media existed in ghost stories. Rather than a loving spouse, Baek Saheon seemed more like he wanted to punch himself in his one remaining eye so that he wouldn’t have to look at Kim Soleum.
It’s not like I want to be here with you either!
Turning his gaze away from Baek Saheon and towards the entity, Kim Soleum lowered himself onto one knee so that he came eye-level with his “child”.
“◼️◼️-ah, Appa’s home!” he called out.
“...”
The entity stared at Kim Soleum for a moment before they began inching towards him. Because they possessed no lower limbs, their clumsy movements appeared grotesque and inhuman. They stopped arm’s length away from Kim Soleum, keeping their gaze on the floor and fidgeting with what he thought might have been their arms. Not quite an enthusiastic greeting, but not an outright rejection either. Kim Soleum had some work to do, but he was off to a decent start.
“Um… Dinner will be ready in ten minutes,” Baek Saheon muttered. His gaze darted between Kim Soleum and the entity before he scampered back into the kitchen to finish cooking.
No wonder why he’s wearing that apron.
With nothing to do for the next ten minutes, Kim Soleum followed the entity back to the living room to spend some quality father-child time with them. Plush dolls and crayons were strewn about on the floor, and there was some sort of children’s show playing on the television. Of course, this being a creepypasta, the cartoon depicted truly horrific violence that no human child should ever witness. Kim Soleum tried his best not to look at the TV lest it turn him off of cartoons forever. How would he keep the nightmares at bay if he couldn’t rewatch Pororo reruns anymore?
Fortunately, the entity seemed more interested in playing with their toys than watching cartoons. The strange dolls in the entity’s hands had unsettling auras and their eyes were too lifelike to be made of plastic, but Kim Soleum pretended not to notice lest they noticed him back. It was never a good thing to be perceived in a ghost story.
“Can you show Appa how this game works?” Kim Soleum asked the entity.
“...!”
Delighted that Kim Soleum was willing to play, the entity shyly placed a doll into his hands and began to maneuver the other dolls into position. For the next several minutes, the two of them acted out a scenario in which one unlucky plush toy was tortured and executed by its friends. If Kim Soleum interpreted the scene correctly, they all cannibalized the plush toy’s remains in the end before finally turning against each other. How wonderfully morbid.
When dinner was ready, Baek Saheon called them to the dining table.
“Let’s eat well.”
Except, Kim Soleum really didn’t want to.
He didn’t know what Baek Saheon had done in the kitchen, but the food looked utterly unpalatable. No, calling this alien-looking substance “food” was an insult to home-cooks everywhere, and it wasn’t even because the ingredients were of supernatural origin. Daydream’s standard procedure for this Darkness was for employees to cook a meal with groceries purchased from the real world, which meant that technically everything on this table should be fit for human consumption. Yet Kim Soleum wouldn’t feed any of this to his worst enemy!
The soup burned his tongue from how salty it was, and the fish was blackened to a crisp. Kim Soleum gave everything on the table a chance, but not a single dish was edible. How could Baek Saheon be this incompetent of a cook? The only thing that was passable was the rice, but even a child could work a rice cooker.
Kim Soleum ate his plain rice with great reluctance. He glanced over at the entity, who was devouring something slimy and unidentifiable while swinging their legs under the table in joy. Perhaps because they were a ghost story denizen, the entity's tastes were rather unconventional.
You’re eating deliciously…
At least someone was enjoying their meal.
As dinner drew to a close, Kim Soleum retrieved something from his shopping bag: a special treat that he had picked up just for the entity.
“Since our ◼️◼️ is such a good child.”
“...!”
It was a bag of soondae that Kim Soleum had acquired from a haunted street vendor during a recent Darkness exploration. He didn’t know what it was made of, but he was sure that it wasn’t anything normal like pig’s blood—if he had to guess, this soondae had probably been a sentient being once upon a time. There was no way in hell that he would willingly eat something like that, so this was the perfect opportunity to offload the unwanted food item.
“Do you like it? Is it tasty?” Kim Soleum asked.
The entity paused their chewing and nodded at Kim Soleum.
Thank goodness.
“And… I have something for you too,” Kim Soleum said, turning towards Baek Saheon.
From within a sturdy paper bag, Kim Soleum pulled out a small but beautifully designed cardboard box. He placed it in front of Baek Saheon, whose expression instantly changed from one of poorly concealed irritation to intrigue when he lifted the top of the box to reveal the plastic container within.
“Cake?” Baek Saheon’s eye lit up with greed, and he promptly tried to stuff the container in his pocket. “I’ll save it for later.”
The disgraceful scene before him nearly made Kim Soleum smack himself on the forehead.
It’s not an item, you greedy bastard!
The cake was an ordinary slice of tiramisu that Kim Soleum had purchased from a popular dessert place near the office building. Showing affection through gift giving was common among friends, family, and lovers—this was true in the real world and in creepypastas alike, so Kim Soleum was sure that the entity would understand this concept well. Apparently, Baek Saheon’s grasp on human relationships was even worse than that of a ghost story denizen.
Plastering a fake smile on his face, Kim Soleum reached out and snatched the box away from Baek Saheon, who flinched at the physical contact. When he realized what had been taken away from him, Baek Saheon looked like he was holding himself back from some choice words.
“Just something I picked up on the way home,” Kim Soleum explained. “There’s nothing special about this cake, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.”
“Ah.”
Baek Saheon was incredibly self-serving but not unintelligent. He was, after all, destined to become a section chief in the future. Having lost all interest in the cake, he had no complaints as Kim Soleum retrieved a fork and removed the plastic top from the container.
… That is, until Kim Soleum picked up a bite-sized piece of cake with the fork and shoved it into Baek Saheon’s face.
“Say ‘ahh’!”
The color drained from Baek Saheon’s face instantly. To his credit, though, he did as he was told and took the piece of cake into his mouth.
“It’s delicious,” Baek Saheon admitted. The tiramisu from this bakery was currently trending on social media for its outstanding flavor and visuals, so he wasn’t lying.
“Only the very best for my wife,” Kim Soleum said, taking Baek Saheon’s hand into his own.
Baek Saheon very nearly spat out his cake.
In the midst of all this, the entity sat unmoving, watching their “parents” with eerie, glowing eyes. Evaluating the two of them. Judging their performance, their worthiness.
“◼️◼️-ah, it’s tiramisu,” Kim Soleum said, smiling apologetically at the entity. “It has alcohol in it, so it’s only for grown-ups.”
“...”
The entity nodded and went back to enjoying their soondae like a well-behaved child.
That was a close one.
For a moment there, Kim Soleum was convinced that the entity had seen through their sham marriage, but it seemed like they were safe for the time being.
After dinner, the entity was allowed to return to the living room while Kim Soleum and Baek Saheon remained in the kitchen to clean up.
“So, what’s the plan?” Baek Saheon asked, his voice just loud enough for Kim Soleum to hear over the sound of the running faucet.
Arms crossed, Kim Soleum leaned against the kitchen counter as he watched Baek Saheon wash the dishes. “You’re asking me? I read the same manual that you did,” he answered. “You missed a spot, by the way.”
Irritation flashed on Baek Saheon’s face, but he quickly hid it with a smile.
“No, I mean, it’s just that you have a reputation for clearing Darknesses in unorthodox ways,” Baek Saheon explained as he scrubbed a plate clean of its stubborn food stain. He glanced in the direction of the living room and lowered his voice further. “I… don’t want to have to interact with that thing again.”
“That thing”? Maybe don’t refer to your own child in such a derogatory way.
“Oh, why is that? Did something unpleasant happen to you before I arrived?” Kim Soleum stared directly at Baek Saheon. “That’s too bad. I would have liked to see it.”
That shut Baek Saheon up real quick.
Seriously, this guy…
Anyway, Kim Soleum couldn’t go the unorthodox route here even if he wanted. It wasn’t like he enjoyed being near the entity either—who in their right mind would willingly choose to do that? But he had read every last exploration record for this Darkness, including ones that had yet to take place in this reality, and there were no other methods, no undiscovered loopholes that they could exploit. Playing along with the Darkness’s idea of a perfect nuclear family was the only known solution.
“We should be able to leave soon anyway,” Kim Soleum added.
Baek Saheon nodded in agreement as he returned the dishes and utensils, now sparkling clean, back to their original places. “Right. It’s almost bedtime,” he muttered.
As if on cue, Kim Soleum heard a strange set of footsteps approaching. The entity shuffled up to the two of them with a spring in their step, their movements somehow less monstrous than before. Thinking fast, Kim Soleum adjusted his body language and leaned closer to a panicking Baek Saheon, who in turn slid a shaky arm around Kim Soleum's waist. Warmth lingered there even after Baek Saheon’s hand eventually settled on hovering over Kim Soleum’s shoulder instead.
“What's that you have there? Show Umma and Appa,” said Kim Soleum.
He could feel Baek Saheon staring daggers at him, but Kim Soleum ignored it and kept his gaze on the entity. The very moment Baek Saheon had put on that apron and started preparing dinner, the Darkness had already assigned him to be the mom of this family. It was Baek Saheon’s own fault and nobody else's, and there was certainly nothing that Kim Soleum could do about it now even if he was so inclined to help.
The entity held up a piece of paper for Kim Soleum and Baek Saheon to see. It was a crayon drawing of three people: Mom, Dad, and baby.
This is… us?
Judging by the stick figures’ hair colors, it was indeed the three of them. The drawing might have been cute if not for the strange creatures engaged in some sort of ritual in the background. Kim Soleum didn't even want to know what was going on over there.
“Oh my, our ◼️◼️ is so talented,” Kim Soleum praised. “Jagiya, shall we look into enrolling ◼️◼️ in an art class?”
But Baek Saheon was too terrified to answer. The entity had attached themself to him, wrapping their arms around Baek Saheon's thigh.
Oh, they're even doing aegyo.
Many children were naturally closer to Mom than they were to Dad, Kim Soleum supposed.
“I'll put this up on the fridge,” Kim Soleum announced as he headed towards the refrigerator.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Baek Saheon hesitantly reach out to pat the entity's head. The entity hugged their mom tighter in response, rubbing their forehead on his hip. It was an almost heartwarming scene of an almost normal pair of mother and child.
Everything had gone smoothly so far, and the only thing left to do now was putting the entity to bed. The thought of Baek Saheon soothing a child to sleep was laughable, so Kim Soleum was forced to volunteer himself for the job. Baek Saheon, who wanted as little to do with the entity as possible, gladly entrusted him with the task.
“This Darkness doesn't tolerate uncleanliness. Tidy up the living room, and go make sure the rest of the apartment is spotless too,” Kim Soleum had instructed Baek Saheon before they parted ways.
If nothing else, Baek Saheon seemed decent at household chores, so he shouldn't have any trouble with his cleaning duties.
Kim Soleum pulled up a chair next to the entity’s bed, where the entity was already tucked in and looking up at him. Their two orb-like eyes shone with excitement and expectation.
Without even checking the shelves, Kim Soleum already knew that all of the picture books in the nursery were cursed or otherwise not meant for human eyes, so he decided he had to come up with his own bedtime story. Fortunately, he happened to work at a ghost story company and so had plenty of first-hand experiences with the paranormal. After a month of employment at Daydream Inc., he had amassed quite the arsenal of haunted tales, any and all of which would undoubtedly delight a young creepypasta entity who possessed a deep love of the occult.
“... and then, CHOMP!” Kim Soleum mimicked the motion of biting into flesh. “The clown jumped out of the painting and ripped the human’s skin off with their razor-sharp teeth.”
The entity clapped with joy at each gruesome twist and turn of the plot. Kim Soleum almost began to fear that the creepypasta he had chosen was too exciting for a bedtime story, but soon the entity fell silent and their breathing became even, lulled to sleep by the macabre tale.
As Kim Soleum looked at the entity’s shadowy figure one final time, he realized that over the course of the evening they had become more or less human-shaped. He pulled the covers up to the entity’s chin and turned off the lamp.
“Goodnight, ◼️◼️-ah,” Kim Soleum whispered before he quietly closed the door.
It was over. Finally.
Fuck, I was so fucking scared!!!
There were a few close calls, but Kim Soleum had managed to hold it together until the end. He would have preferred to speedrun this Darkness to minimize contact with the entity, but regardless, he felt fairly satisfied with his performance. However, this was no time for self-evaluation. He had to find Baek Saheon quickly so that they could leave this place for good.
Aside from the various toys on the living room floor, the apartment was already neatly organized, so Baek Saheon should have finished his cleaning duties quickly. Yet he was nowhere to be found—there were no signs of him in the living room, nor in the kitchen, nor in either of the two bathrooms. Kim Soleum even returned to each area to check behind the various furniture, in case Baek Saheon had passed out on the floor somewhere, and still Kim Soleum could not find him. He couldn’t be in the entity’s room, because Kim Soleum had just been in there… which left only one other option.
The master bedroom.
If he’s not in here either, I’m just going to leave without him.
The door to the master bedroom was ajar, and Kim Soleum could see light pouring out through the small gap. Although he had never read about any other supernatural entities in the Playing House creepypasta aside from the one he had just put to bed, anomalies could always occur in ghost stories. He braced himself for the worst and slowly pushed the door further open until he could peek inside, yet nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.
Baek Saheon was sitting in a kneeled position on the bed, and… he was wearing lingerie.
“...”
In a state of shock, Kim Soleum nearly slammed the door shut.
“Wait, no, come back!” Baek Saheon chased after Kim Soleum as he tried to back away from the door.
Fuck, do I have to?
Kim Soleum pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before he stepped into the room, gently closing the door behind him. His face grew hot from what he assumed to be second-hand embarrassment, and he tried with varying success to keep his gaze above Baek Saheon's neck. Crossing his arms, he waited for an explanation from Baek Saheon.
“What the hell did you do? Tell me quickly,” Kim Soleum demanded in an icy voice.
Baek Saheon's face burned with shame as he recounted the events.
As it turned out, an anomaly had indeed occurred.
After Baek Saheon had finished tidying the living room, he searched the rest of the apartment to make sure there were no other messes that he needed to clean. The final place that he had inspected was the room they were currently in: the master bedroom. The apartment in this Darkness was originally clean to the point of sterile, and since neither of them had been in this room before, in theory it shouldn't need to be tidied any further.
Upon entering, Baek Saheon indeed found a clean bedroom with a neat appearance. There was nothing out of the ordinary except for one thing—a flat box on the bed with a simple cardstock note on top that read, “A gift for my wife.”
… And you actually fell for it?!
Kim Soleum stared at Baek Saheon in disbelief, unable to comprehend why he had willingly opened the box in the first place when it had so obviously been bait. Baek Saheon's greed for items truly knew no bounds.
“And then, after I touched the box, uh, my clothes…” Baek Saheon trailed off.
Though Baek Saheon couldn't bring himself to finish that thought, it was clear what had happened. The standard Daydream Inc. uniform consisting of a suit and tie that he had been wearing had completely disappeared, replaced by lingerie that left nothing to the imagination. Even the eyepatch covering his left eye was gone—in its place, he now had on a white eyepatch that matched his current attire, lacy and heart-shaped and not at all suited for his abrasive personality.
The second-hand embarrassment was too much to handle. Beyond exasperated, Kim Soleum wanted to smack Baek Saheon for making such a stupid mistake.
“Why would you fall for that?” Kim Soleum berated with a sigh. “You’re not my wife, and we're not really married. You are aware of that, ri—”
Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the walls began to bleed.
Oh, shit. Did the entity hear me?
Kim Soleum gripped Baek Saheon by the shoulder with two hands. He spoke clearly, enunciating every word: “Jagiya, it looks sexy on you. I love it so much. Keep it on.”
The room promptly returned to normal.
Both of them let out a sigh of relief at the same time. Kim Soleum let go of Baek Saheon, dropping his arms back to his sides. His palms tingled with a strange heat.
“Anyway, if you can't take that off, at least put some more clothes on,” Kim Soleum said, looking past Baek Saheon at the wall behind him.
Feeling wrongly accused, Baek Saheon’s face twisted with frustration. “You think I haven't thought of that? Go on, take a look inside the closet.”
“...”
As soon as Kim Soleum did so, he understood the problem: Not a single piece of clothing in that closet was any less revealing or embarrassing than what Baek Saheon was already wearing. Babydoll dresses, stockings, bralettes made of delicate lace… There were no ordinary articles of clothing in this closet, only intimate apparel.
The only other thing in here was a large storage box sitting on the closet floor, but Kim Soleum didn't even want to acknowledge what he saw inside when he lifted the cover. All he could say was that Baek Saheon had married a truly degenerate pervert.
Ah, no, upon closer inspection, there was also a maid costume and a dog ear headband hiding in a corner of the closet.
A puppyboy maid cosplay? Worse than a pervert, Baek Saheon had married an otaku.
“Fuck… Ugh. What do we do now?” Baek Saheon asked, his voice trembling.
What do you think? You already know what has to happen.
The only way to clear this Darkness now was for Kim Soleum and Baek Saheon to do what married couples do at night!
For all Kim Soleum berated Baek Saheon for his greed, Baek Saheon's actions hadn't actually mattered—because if the Darkness wanted them to do something, it would simply force their hand. Maybe it was because they were both men, or because their acting was unconvincing, or something else entirely… Who could say why this Darkness did the things that it chose to do? All that mattered now was that they obeyed the entity’s demands.
“We're a married couple, you're wearing lingerie, and this is our bedroom,” Kim Soleum said as he closed the closet door. “Take a guess.”
Baek Saheon, who had reached the same conclusion long ago, couldn't bear to answer.
The entity wasn’t directly observing them right now, but it could definitely sense their emotions and perhaps even read their surface-level thoughts. If anything went wrong, it would all be over in an instant. They had no choice but to stay alert and make this feel believable.
“Lie down on the bed,” Kim Soleum instructed.
To his surprise, Baek Saheon complied with minimal fuss.
The sight before Kim Soleum was a strange one indeed. A named character of the wiki—one infamous for his ruthlessness, no less—was lying in their bed, awaiting his next move. Baek Saheon had been forced by the ghost story to wear a dainty lingerie set that hardly covered his body, yet he didn’t look strange or humorous as one might assume. In fact, the clothing quite suited Baek Saheon, who almost exuded the aura of a bashful bride dressed in white on her wedding night. But that wasn’t quite right—they were hardly newlyweds, and Baek Saheon seemed like he had done this before. If anyone here was the blushing, virginal bride, it would have to be…
Ah, no, that wasn’t important right now.
Exhaling, Kim Soleum climbed onto the bed and slotted himself between Baek Saheon’s legs. The lingerie was originally for women, so Baek Saheon’s cock was already straining against the tight fabric. Kim Soleum palmed him lightly through the fabric and heard Baek Saheon let out a quiet, shaky breath. The act of touching another person so intimately was already unfamiliar to Kim Soleum, but jerking off his psycho roommate was downright surreal. Fortunately, he was born with the same body part, so he could at least draw from his own past solo experiences as a starting point.
However, it seemed that Baek Saheon had already grown impatient. A hand shot out and grabbed Kim Soleum’s wrist, urging him to move faster. As that hand pushed Kim Soleum’s palm down, dictating where it went and how much pressure it placed on Baek Saheon’s still-clothed cock, Kim Soleum’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. He halted his movements entirely before pulling his hand away.
“How, when, and if I choose to touch you—those are not things for you to decide.” Kim Soleum paused and stared down at Baek Saheon. “You understand, right? Answer me in words.”
The look of irritation on Baek Saheon’s face shifted into one of genuine surprise. His face was tinged with pink and his mouth hung open stupidly as if his brain was still processing what he had just heard.
“Ah,” Baek Saheon responded when he remembered that Kim Soleum expected a verbal reply. “Yes, sir.”
“Glad we’re in agreement,” Kim Soleum said in a flat voice and looked into the distance.
When he returned his gaze to Baek Saheon, he found his ghost story wife with his hands clasped tightly together, fingers interlaced. His one eye darted around in anxiety and perhaps another emotion. They had barely begun, yet Baek Saheon already seemed desperate for more. His legs were spread open, and the tip of his hard cock peeked out of his underwear. A thin line of precome was already dripping out.
Feeling that it was too indecent of a sight, Kim Soleum swiped the liquid away with a thumb and dragged it down the head of Baek Saheon’s cock. Already, another bead began to form at the tip, threatening to drip down onto Baek Saheon’s stomach. Kim Soleum lowered himself and took the tip of Baek Saheon’s cock into his mouth so that he could lick away the clear liquid. Above him, he heard Baek Saheon bite back a moan. Wanting to taste more of him, Kim Soleum tugged the fabric down past Baek Saheon’s length and took him further into his mouth. Yet as soon as he did so, Baek Saheon tried to thrust up into that wet heat.
Not expecting it, Kim Soleum almost gagged.
This insufferable little shit…
Kim Soleum had already skirted the line earlier by scolding Baek Saheon; if he reprimanded Baek Saheon any further, he feared that the entity might sense it and punish both of them. Instead, Kim Soleum chose to hold Baek Saheon's hips down and forced him still.
Unable to move as he pleased, Baek Saheon’s thighs trembled as Kim Soleum ran his tongue along his length. The pressure on his hips was unyielding even long after he had accepted his fate and given up on moving, yet he welcomed that feeling of being restrained. Being forcibly held down like this sent shivers down Baek Saheon’s body and made him experience emotions that he had never felt before. Though no one was watching, he covered his own face with a hand in deep shame and let out a shaky breath.
Meanwhile, Kim Soleum was growing exponentially tired of applying constant pressure on Baek Saheon’s hips. He was beginning to regret all the times he stayed home and read the wiki instead of hitting the gym.
Agh, my arms hurt!
Even Kim Soleum himself wasn’t sure why he was still doing this. He had only wanted to get Baek Saheon fully hard—after all, they needed it if they were going to have sex. However, it happened much sooner than Kim Soleum expected. It was almost unbelievable how easily Baek Saheon had become aroused, evident in the way his body twitched each time Kim Soleum took him deeper. They were in a Darkness, for goodness’ sake, and there was even a demonic entity across the hall from them. What kind of lunatic would want sex under such dire circumstances?
“Oh, fuck—!”
Neither had Kim Soleum expected Baek Saheon to be loud. Admittedly, it was flattering, but…
“Wah! W̴̦̱͋á̴̗́h̵̯̭͋͠!̴͕͍̓ W̴̪̗̪͌̆̌̈̌̊͒ͅa̵̦͑́͋̇̂ͅȁ̴̩̓̈́̈͐͝á̵̧͚͙̰͓͙̥̠h̷̢̬̩̙͍̮́̃̽͘!̶̞̥̣͓̮͎͆͜͜͝!̴̢̠̮͉͕̠͐̉̿͒̓̕͝͠͝”
A dreadful noise began emitting from somewhere within the bedroom, a truly horrific sound not meant to be heard by human ears. It was coming from the baby monitor that was connected to the nursery. Their “child” had heard them, no, heard Baek Saheon, and woke up from its slumber. Shit. Kim Soleum should have used the gag that he saw in the storage box.
Time itself felt like it had slowed to a near halt as the two of them waited in silence. After a few agonizing seconds, the crying noise died down, replaced by soft, human-sounding snores.
Kim Soleum released Baek Saheon's cock and craned his neck to give his “wife” a pointed look. He pressed a finger to lips, signalling Baek Saheon to stay quiet. Palefaced, Baek Saheon nodded.
Baek Saheon’s cock rested on his stomach, looking rather pitiful after it had been sucked and toyed with for so long without release. Kim Soleum wiped the corner of his mouth, pretending he didn't notice the way Baek Saheon was staring at his red, swollen lips shining with saliva, the horrific incident just now already half-forgotten in his mind.
“We need lube,” Baek Saheon murmured, breathless. “It's probably in that storage box, in the closet.”
Kim Soleum was silent, only looking at him with a cryptic expression.
“... Fine, ugh, I'll go get it,” Baek Saheon conceded.
A hand reached out to stop Baek Saheon from going any further.
“No,” Kim Soleum spoke in a strange voice. “We don't need it.”
Baek Saheon’s expression shifted from one of annoyance to confusion and then finally to disbelief and mild fear. Whatever crazy conclusions that Baek Saheon had reached in that sick mind of his, Kim Soleum didn’t want to hear it.
“We… I don't need it,” Kim Soleum clarified.
Bewildered, Baek Saheon watched in silence as he awaited an explanation. Kim Soleum bared his lower half, then faced away from Baek Saheon and kneeled on the bed. He raised his hips up for Baek Saheon to see, trying his best to suppress the sudden feeling of embarrassment that surged in him.
“See for yourself,” he managed to say in a steady voice.
From within Kim Soleum’s exposed hole, ◼️◼️ was coming out.
“You’re… wet?” Baek Saheon said. His eye widened, staring at the clear substance that slowly dripped out of Kim Soleum.
The surprise in his voice told Kim Soleum that Baek Saheon had not been cursed with the same affliction. For whatever reason, the ghost story specifically handpicked Kim Soleum for this. It was just as well, considering the activity they were about to partake in. He wasn’t looking forward to telling the infirmary doctors about his mildly contaminated hole, though.
Kim Soleum’s body tensed for a moment when he sensed a finger against his hole, pressing on him but not breaching the entrance.
“More is coming out,” Baek Saheon said, swallowing.
Of course, Kim Soleum knew that. He was keenly aware of it, more than anyone else, because he could feel it coming out of him. Just as he was about to ask Baek Saheon if he was done stating obvious facts, he suddenly felt something slender push into him. Baek Saheon’s finger slid in easily, aided by the fluid of unknown origin. Kim Soleum swallowed the noise that nearly came out of his throat when it was joined by a second finger.
Not wanting Baek Saheon to learn of the effect he was having on him, Kim Soleum pretended that he had anticipated the act and refrained from expressing displeasure. Not that it was painful or unwanted—he had only been surprised by the feeling. On the contrary, it was quite enjoyable. As a virgin who had only just realized he was probably gay, he had never thought to pleasure this part of himself before. Each and every one of Baek Saheon’s touches sent shivers through Kim Soleum’s body.
The personal lives of named characters were almost never discussed on the wiki itself, and Kim Soleum had never been the type to speculate on such details. The fact that Viper liked men was most certainly not mentioned in canon, although perhaps it would be added to the wiki after they cleared this Darkness. Kim Soleum, a named wiki character most notable for having had gay sex in a ghost story? He didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry at the thought.
By this point, Kim Soleum had grown desperate for more, yet he refused to beg, instead waiting for Baek Saheon to ask for permission to fuck him. Fortunately, Baek Saheon didn’t disappoint.
If Kim Soleum was desperate, then Baek Saheon was downright pathetic.
“Um,” Baek Saheon said.
“What is it?” Kim Soleum feigned ignorance.
“Can I fuck you now?” Baek Saheon asked.
Really? That’s it?
“... There’s something you need to say first.”
One long pause later, Baek Saheon hesitantly added, “Ah. Please?”
With some guidance, Baek Saheon had finally managed to ask politely. It truly was like talking to an elementary school student who hadn’t learned manners yet. No, worse, a toddler had more sense than this guy. Even a demonic ghost story entity knew better!
Our ◼️◼️, please don’t take after Umma when you grow up…
“Fine,” Kim Soleum said in a detached voice. “Go ahead.”
There were no condoms in this ghost story, Kim Soleum was certain. Even if they had had the foresight to bring some with them, it wouldn’t be a good idea to use one now, because the way to clear this Darkness was to create the warm atmosphere of a loving family life. If Kim Soleum and Baek Saheon were happily married, then why would they use a condom?
Something hot pressed against Kim Soleum. Though he tried to anticipate it, the unfamiliar feeling caught him off-guard. His grip on the sheets tightened, and he squeezed his eyes shut as Baek Saheon pushed in further and further until he could feel soft lace brushing against his ass and the metal clips of Baek Saheon’s garter belt pressing into his thighs.
Baek Saheon soon began to move.
Kim Soleum felt like he was about to lose it. Every thrust sent jolts of pleasure through his body, and he was discovering parts of himself hitherto unknown. Forget contamination, he was going to go crazy from the feeling of being fucked.
Not just probably gay. Kim Soleum was certain now that he was most definitely gay.
Oh my god, I never want to be doing anything else again.
What the hell had he been wasting his time on up until now? If he had known there was so much more to life than flattering clients at work and reading the wiki on company dime, he would have become gay a lot sooner.
A hand reached from behind Kim Soleum and wrapped loosely around his cock, stroking him lazily. It felt so good that Kim Soleum didn’t even resist when Baek Saheon started to kiss his neck, sucking hard enough that he might leave a mark.
“You feel good,” Baek Saheon murmured into Kim Soleum’s shoulder. “Yeobo…”
The entity was observing them, even if it wasn’t watching directly. They had no choice but to continue to refer to each other by pet names as they had done before. Even so, that word had slipped out of Baek Saheon’s mouth so naturally and in such a saccharine tone. But Kim Soleum couldn’t bring himself to think more deeply about it right now, not when he felt so good that each of his thoughts left him as soon as they were formed. He didn’t have a single care in the world as long as Baek Saheon kept fucking him.
However, Baek Saheon’s movements soon grew erratic. Having been toyed with for so long earlier, it seemed that he was quickly reaching his limit.
“Uh, I’m,” Baek Saheon began, his hips stuttering.
“Not yet,” Kim Soleum said.
“I, I really can’t anymore.”
Kim Soleum felt Baek Saheon slowing to a still.
“Yes, you can,” Kim Soleum insisted. “Keep going.”
With no choice but to obey, Baek Saheon resumed his movements and tried to fuck Kim Soleum with the same steady rhythm as before. Yet his thrusts quickly turned frantic once more, and soon his body shuddered with release as he muffled the noise that came out of his mouth into Kim Soleum’s shoulder.
Kim Soleum was deeply annoyed. He hadn’t had enough yet, but Baek Saheon had rudely reached his own peak before he could finish satisfying Kim Soleum.
“What did I say? I told you not yet,” he said with a sigh.
Already, Kim Soleum could feel Baek Saheon’s come threatening to spill out of him. What a sight Baek Saheon must be seeing right now. The mere thought of it made Kim Soleum blush, and he tried not to give it any further thought.
But he was suddenly reminded of something important about this particular ghost story. Part of maintaining a happy family life was keeping their home tidy and clean… and that included the linens!
“The bedsheets,” Kim Soleum hissed. “We can’t dirty them or we won’t be able to leave!”
Snapping out of his daze, Baek Saheon blurted out a curse under his breath.
“Don’t let it come out,” Kim Soleum whisper-shouted at Baek Saheon. “Ah, no, where are you going? It’s too late to grab a towel. Just—”
At that moment, Kim Soleum felt something hot and wet on the back of his thigh. He recognized the sensation, yet he had never felt it in such a private area of his body. His body and mind froze simultaneously.
It was Baek Saheon’s tongue.
Um? Uh?!?
Kim Soleum felt that tongue lick away the mixture of clear fluid and come trickling out of him, cleaning away the evidence of their prior activities. Continuing upward, Baek Saheon moved to Kim Soleum’s perineum, dragging his tongue against the hot skin there until he reached Kim Soleum’s reddened hole and began prodding gently against that slightly gaping opening. Having been fucked so thoroughly just a few moments ago, it granted entry even without Kim Soleum’s expressed will. Baek Saheon’s tongue easily slipped inside.
What was happening right now? Kim Soleum’s mind was a jumbled mess, and he could barely process what Baek Saheon was doing to him even as his body reacted eagerly to it. The only things he could feel now were Baek Saheon’s fingertips digging into the flesh of his ass and Baek Saheon’s mouth on him. In a daze, Kim Soleum reached behind himself and grasped Baek Saheon’s hair, holding Baek Saheon in place as he grinded back on that tongue. When Kim Soleum’s grip tightened, he heard a throaty moan escape from Baek Saheon’s lips.
The overwhelming pleasure made Kim Soleum feel weak. The arm that he had been using to prop himself up gave out, and as he fell down he released the hand that had been holding Baek Saheon by his hair. He felt Baek Saheon lick a broad stripe over his hole, savoring it one final time before pulling away.
Without anyone holding his hips up, Kim Soleum toppled over. He fell onto the mattress with a plop and stayed there, limbs unwilling to cooperate.
Both of them were breathless. When Kim Soleum lifted his head, he saw Baek Saheon wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Kim Soleum pushed himself up with shaky arms and closed in on Baek Saheon, tilting his chin up. He reached out to wipe a corner of Baek Saheon’s lips with his index finger, dragging it across his lips. Instinctively, Baek Saheon took it into his mouth and licked the come away, swallowing it.
“You missed a spot,” Kim Soleum explained belatedly.
Eyes glassy, Baek Saheon only half-heartedly acknowledged him.
When they kissed again, Kim Soleum could taste himself in Baek Saheon's mouth. Running his hands over Baek Saheon’s warm skin, Kim Soleum paused at his thigh, dipping his fingertips under the stretchy fabric he found there. He vaguely wondered if it had been uncomfortable to keep on during sex, but he pushed the thought aside as soon as it formed. The entity might see it as some sort of rejection if Baek Saheon were to remove the garment, so it was safer to leave it be lest they face the entity’s wrath.
Speaking of which, had they fulfilled the requirement to leave this place yet? Kim Soleum eyed the closed bedroom door, wondering if the front door of this ghost story apartment was still locked or not. Should he leave the room to check? Was it enough that Baek Saheon had come inside of him, or did they both need to…?
Even thinking of such an embarrassing question made Kim Soleum want to cringe, so he refrained from voicing it. Besides, the entity would probably spit them back out into the real world once it was done with them. The fact that it hadn't happened meant that they had yet to clear this Darkness.
For now, he focused on the way Baek Saheon practically melted into his arms as their kiss deepened, how easily he yielded when Kim Soleum gently bit his lower lip and pushed his tongue in.
When they parted, a thin thread of saliva still connected their glistening lips, lingering between them before it snapped. Baek Saheon’s gaze was heavy with lust, and he was hard again—or, more accurately, he never stopped being hard to begin with. Kim Soleum reached out to hold Baek Saheon’s still-wet cock, lightly tracing a vein with his thumb. With all the detachment of a window-shopper appraising a product they had no intention of purchasing, he felt its weight in his hand, face indifferent as it twitched against his palm.
“How can you still be hard? You already came in me,” Kim Soleum said.
Perhaps due to his natural mistrust of others, Baek Saheon interpreted the genuine question as a sarcastic taunt. With the entity watching his every move, however, he held himself back from cursing at Kim Soleum and instead averted his gaze in shame.
Sighing, Kim Soleum played with the precome that had begun to drip onto his fingers. He dragged it down Baek Saheon’s length and lingered at the base. “Even after all of that, my wife is still greedy for more. What should I do?” he lamented.
At those words, Baek Saheon’s head whipped up and his eye shone with interest. Kim Soleum took note of that reaction.
“I suppose I can let you fuck me again,” Kim Soleum said, suppressing a gleeful smile when he saw Baek Saheon’s eye widen eagerly. “But you nearly made a mess earlier. What if it happens again?”
“Ah, no! It–It won’t happen again,” Baek Saheon blurted out. “I promise.”
“Hm.” Kim Soleum crossed his arms and said nothing for a long time, as if seriously considering his options. Finally, he nodded. “Alright, sure, I believe you.”
Without another word, Kim Soleum hopped off the bed and walked toward the closet at a leisurely pace. He could feel Baek Saheon’s gaze on him, watching him in confusion as he opened the storage box and dug through its contents with slow, deliberate movements. There, as expected, he found just the thing he’d been searching for.
Baek Saheon’s eye widened in recognition as Kim Soleum returned to the bed.
“Just in case,” Kim Soleum said with a smile.
Baek Saheon couldn’t bear to watch. He squeezed his eye shut and felt the band slide past the tip of his cock, all the way down to the base where it sat snug around his girth.
“Jagiya, what are you waiting for?”
When Baek Saheon opened his eye again, he was met with the sight of Kim Soleum lying on the bed, beckoning for him to come. He didn’t need to be asked twice.
Kim Soleum was wet again, undoing all of the hard work that Baek Saheon had put in earlier when he had eaten him out. Even so, it took a moment for Kim Soleum to adjust to the increased girth. Unwilling to let on just how much this was affecting him, Kim Soleum gazed at Baek Saheon with unimpressed eyes until he bottomed out.
However, as Baek Saheon started to move, Kim Soleum felt his resolve begin to crumble.
Now, the tables had been turned. Kim Soleum was the one who had endured for far too long, and already he felt like he might reach his peak. He decided to prolong it by refraining from touching himself, yet each time Baek Saheon drove into him, Kim Soleum felt he might pass out from pleasure. It shouldn’t be possible to come from this alone, right? He never gave much thought to the particulars of gay sex, but he couldn’t imagine such a thing to be feasible. Now, he wasn’t so confident in that answer anymore.
“You’ll keep going until I’m done with you, right? You won’t come too soon this time?” Kim Soleum asked.
“Uh,” Baek Saheon said, the cogs in his brain taking a longer time to turn than usual. “Yeah. I won’t.”
That barely coherent reply amused Kim Soleum so much that he couldn’t help but let out a small sound of laughter. It was the first time that Baek Saheon had ever seen him smile out of genuine amusement rather than contempt or malice. The sight filled Baek Saheon with a strange feeling that he pushed aside when he couldn’t identify it.
“Okay,” Kim Soleum said, the corner of his lips still turned up slightly, “then fuck me.”
A desperate, lust-filled Kim Soleum spread out underneath Baek Saheon must have been a vision to behold, and Baek Saheon made no secret of his beholding. His one remaining eyeball worked overtime to take in the sight, committing every detail to memory. It only occurred to Kim Soleum now, after he was already trapped under Baek Saheon, how obscene he must look. Baek Saheon had had a limited view of Kim Soleum when they had done it from behind, but now, he could see everything—Kim Soleum’s exposed body, his hard cock slapping against his stomach every time Baek Saheon gave him a particularly hard thrust, the place where they were intimately connected. But if Baek Saheon was at all under the impression that Kim Soleum was under his control right now, he would be wrong. Kim Soleum was in charge, and Baek Saheon was completely at his mercy.
“More,” Kim Soleum demanded, wrapping his legs around Baek Saheon and pulling him closer to encourage him to fuck him deeper.
Now that they were face-to-face, Kim Soleum could see that Baek Saheon clearly had something to say. Normally, Kim Soleum might pretend not to notice, but he had a feeling this was something he would want to hear.
“Do you have something on your mind?” Kim Soleum hugged Baek Saheon close, dipping his fingers into the band of his bralette. “You can just tell me. There should be no secrets between a husband and a wife.”
At the word “wife”, Baek Saheon's eye lit up. It was as Kim Soleum suspected.
Being someone's obedient housewife—was that what this future section chief wanted? Who could have guessed from his wiki page alone? If someone were to write a fanfiction like this, the comments would surely be filled with angry readers accusing the author of writing OOC.
“Say that again,” Baek Saheon blurted out. “… Please, could you say it again?”
Wow. This is seriously so embarrassing of him.
But was Kim Soleum really in any sort of position to judge him? A certain proverb about a dung-smeared dog criticizing a grain husk-smeared dog came to mind.
Speaking of dogs, Baek Saheon looked like a puppy bursting with excitement because its owner had baited it with the word “walk”. Kim Soleum could make him beg for it, but Baek Saheon was almost too pitiful to look at right now. It wouldn't make Kim Soleum feel good to taunt him or withhold rewards any further, so he decided it was best to just give Baek Saheon what he wanted now.
“Wife,” Kim Soleum cooed. “My wife feels so good inside of me.”
Kim Soleum almost let out a yelp as Baek Saheon immediately lost what little was left of his composure and pushed Kim Soleum’s legs down, fucking him deeper and with greater force than before. The thought of the entity hearing their strange roleplay made Kim Soleum want to jump out the window of this 666th floor apartment, so by sheer force of will he suppressed all the noises that threatened to escape his lips.
“Again, please,” Baek Saheon begged. “I, I need more.”
Holding Baek Saheon close, Kim Soleum obliged. He murmured praises into his wife’s ear as he was fucked open and pushed closer to the edge, until he couldn’t speak properly anymore, until all the words that came out of his mouth turned into broken gasps and he spilled onto his own stomach.
“...”
“...”
Neither of them spoke for some time. Kim Soleum felt barely conscious even after he regained the ability to think. He had just come hard enough that it nearly sent him back to his own world, metaphorically speaking. The only thing keeping him tethered to his current reality was Baek Saheon's weight on top of him, clinging to his body like Kim Soleum might slip away and escape if Baek Saheon looked away for too long. That was probably a real concern to him, on account of how he only had one eye left.
Despite preventative measures, Baek Saheon had managed to come inside of Kim Soleum a second time. The two of them were still intimately connected, which meant that everything remained sealed tightly inside Kim Soleum for now, but once Baek Saheon pulled out… They might not be able to clean that up without making a mess on the bedsheets.
Why didn't I grab a towel when I had a chance?!
He had been too busy thinking about how much he wanted Baek Saheon in him again, that was why! Kim Soleum didn't want to die yet, but if this ghost story killed him, he probably had it coming.
As Kim Soleum lamented his own lapse of judgement and newly-discovered love of gay sex, a shimmer in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A cylindrical object sitting on top of a stack of neatly folded clothes, on a familiar-looking desk that hadn’t been there before. It was Baek Saheon’s Dream Essence Collector—and it was full.
“... We cleared the Darkness,” Kim Soleum said, exhaling quietly in relief.
“...!”
After confirming that they had indeed been transported back to their shared dorm, Baek Saheon finally pulled out of Kim Soleum. Something hot soon followed, dripping from Kim Soleum’s wet, loosened hole.
… It's coming out.
Kim Soleum's face heated up at the feeling, but he deliberately allowed the fluid to trickle out and pool beneath him. They were in Baek Saheon’s room, so what did it matter to Kim Soleum if his bedsheets got dirty? It was his fault for coming inside Kim Soleum anyway, so he was only reaping what he had sown.
After cleaning up in the worst awkward silence of Kim Soleum’s life, they returned to the office to report back to their squad leaders. There was only one way to get from the dorms to the office building, so they were forced to travel together, neither of them acknowledging each other's presence, not even when they finally parted at their respective floors.
Even after everything he had just endured, Kim Soleum still had to head back to his desk and write a report.
Exactly how in-depth would the report have to be? Surely, Kim Soleum could omit the specifics of their… activities. Yet there was no way around mentioning the anomaly that had occurred or the unusual method used to clear this Darkness, even if he kept the report as concise and vague as possible. The fact that he and Baek Saheon had had sex in a ghost story was going to be officially documented in company records.
Kim Soleum closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temple.
Today was so embarrassing.
It was about to become even more embarrassing.
As soon as Kim Soleum sat down and logged back on to his computer, the Research Team reached out with the “good” news. Playing House, which had always reliably produced D-grade or lower Dream Essence, had just yielded C-grade essence—and it was all thanks to the cross-team collaboration of the D- and F-squad rookies.
Standing side-by-side in the Research Team's office, said rookie employees glanced at each other with identical expressions of disbelief before averting their gazes.
In their haste to untangle their limbs from one another, neither Kim Soleum nor Baek Saheon had scrutinized their Dream Essence Collectors closely. But now, they could see clearly that the liquid in their collectors was unmistakably C-grade.
Nobody else had ever achieved this kind of result before. It was truly a remarkable feat.
But the Research Team wouldn’t have invited a pair of newbies from the lowly Field Exploration Team up to the 17th floor just to congratulate them on a job well done. There was another reason why Kim Soleum and Baek Saheon were here.
“From now on, the two of you are to enter this Darkness together on a regular basis.”
A Darkness with no deaths, no injuries, and practically no danger, yielding C-grade essence? The company naturally expected them to replicate this type of result.
Normally, members of the Field Exploration Team were asked to directly manage a Darkness only after they had been promoted to supervisor; because of this, Playing House was being assigned to the D- and F-squads rather than to their rookie members specifically. Yet the Darkness all but in name belonged to the two of them. Against their will, Kim Soleum and Baek Saheon now had joint ownership of the ghost story that required them to act as a pair of loving husband and wife.
Beside him, Kim Soleum could see Baek Saheon soundlessly mouthing a string of expletives.
Yeah, buddy, me too.
For once, he was in complete agreement with his psycho roommate!
Of course, with the stick also came the carrot.
“And because of this special arrangement, you’ll both be eligible for a promotion in six months, ahead of your fellow batchmates!”
Baek Saheon, who had been bursting at the seams with unspoken complaints, quickly changed his demeanor after that was explained to them. What a predictable guy.
Honestly, Kim Soleum didn’t want to be on the fast-track to promotion at a ghost story company. But Playing House was to replace one of the Darknesses that he would have been required to enter anyway, so this arrangement wouldn’t add to his existing workload. Furthermore, there was a low chance of death and the ghost story itself wasn’t particularly terrifying, so long as Baek Saheon kept his mouth shut and didn’t upset the entity.
And it wasn’t like the sex was bad—on the contrary, Kim Soleum had enjoyed it immensely. The aftermath was just incredibly awkward, that was all.
All things considered, it was a pretty good deal.
After thanking the Research Team for the opportunity, Kim Soleum left the meeting room.
In the end, the researchers never volunteered to explain their decision to send a same-gender team into this Darkness, and Kim Soleum didn’t dare to ask. Deliberately endangering the lives of the Field Exploration Team wasn’t atypical behavior from this ghost story corporation, so there likely wasn’t any real justification for the decision. The Research Team was simply full of sadistic personalities who enjoyed playing God more than they cared about human beings or even meaningful experiment results.
Anyway, the more pressing issue here was...
They didn’t tell us how often we would have to clear this Darkness?
In a rush to get away from his company-assigned husband, Baek Saheon had speed-walked away as soon as the two of them were dismissed. When Kim Soleum caught up with him by the elevators, the ring binder in Baek Saheon’s hands shook from how badly he was trembling. His face was completely red, and he looked as though he was about to overheat.
Kim Soleum opened his own binder and began to read the identical paperwork that he had received. His eyes widened.
Employee 1: Kim Soleum (D-squad)
Employee 2: Baek Saheon (F-squad)
Identification Code: Qterw-D-1208, a.k.a. Playing House
Frequency: Once per week
Every week?! Isn't that a bit much?!?
As Kim Soleum lifted his gaze, he inadvertently made eye contact with Baek Saheon, whose entire body tensed with fear.
“... Looks like we'll be working together a lot from now on,” Kim Soleum said.
Impossibly, Baek Saheon's face turned a brighter shade of red. He clenched his fists and fixed his gaze on the floor, refusing to meet Kim Soleum's eyes. Baek Saheon was originally a couple centimeters shorter than Kim Soleum, but with his head lowered like this, he looked even smaller than usual.
It was an incredibly erotic sight, capable of turning anyone into a sadist. That submissive demeanor alone filled Kim Soleum with the urge to bully Baek Saheon again.
“... supposed to rain this weekend, though…”
“... You've been watching that drama too? It's pretty good but…”
“... bought it while I was on vacation in Japan…”
The hallways outside the elevator lobby grew noisy with the sounds of footsteps and indistinct conversations. Office workers approached the elevators in droves, eager to head down to the cafeteria for their lunch breaks.
Grinning, Kim Soleum closed in on his prey. Baek Saheon tried to take a step back, but there was nowhere to go.
Kim Soleum brought his lips right up to Baek Saheon’s ear.
“Yeoboya,” he murmured, just loud enough for Baek Saheon to hear over the noise. “Wear the maid outfit for me next time.”
“...!!”
Baek Saheon didn’t even know that he had closed his eye, but when he opened it again, Kim Soleum was already gone. Now inside the elevator across from him, Kim Soleum stood surrounded by his fellow Daydream Inc. workers. He gave Baek Saheon a friendly, unassuming smile and raised his hand to wave at him.
“See you next week,” Kim Soleum mouthed, as if he were saying goodbye to a mere colleague.
The elevator doors closed shut with a clang. Kim Soleum went down.
As for Baek Saheon…
Well, something of his went up.
Fuck you, Kim Soleum!! Die, you bastard, die!!!
Cursing Kim Soleum in his mind, Baek Saheon stepped into the next elevator and hid himself behind his binder the entire way down.