How a Veteran of the Urban Legend Gallery Survives – Chapter 25

After reading the letter, I was speechless for a while. The tips of my fingers holding the paper trembled slightly. The last sentence kept swirling in my head.

-If something happens, try to pull the corners of your mouth and smile as much as possible.

The air in the room grew heavy.

Though the time was approaching 10 PM, the night in this village seemed unusually deep.

“What does this mean?”

Kang Hana muttered as she reread the letter. Her usual firm voice was nowhere to be found, replaced by a tone that seemed shaky.

Moon Jinwook fidgeted with his wristwatch, unable to hide his unease. The sound of the ticking clock was the only thing filling the silence.

“One thing seems clear.”

I opened my mouth. My voice came out more cracked than I expected.

“Lee Seongho found something in this village, and it was dangerous.”

I tried to recall similar stories I had seen in the Horror Story Gallery, but nothing came to mind. Smile if something happens? What kind of advice is that?

Cheon Seungsoo nodded.

“And he hid the information all over the village…”

Narae suddenly spoke up. She seemed visibly tense. Was it the intuition of a decades-old fox sensing something?

“Team Leader, something feels off.”

Her voice was a pitch higher than usual. All eyes in the room turned to her.

“What is it?”

“Usually, when information is hidden like this, there are clues left for the finder to follow in order. But this letter has nothing like that.”

I nodded at Narae’s words. She was right. Lee Seongho only mentioned that he hid letters all over the village but left no clues about where to start looking. It was as if he had written and hidden the letters in a hurry, as if being chased by something.

“Perhaps…”

I continued slowly, my throat dry.

“He didn’t have time.”

Outside the window, the night deepened. It felt like darkness was seeping into the room through the windows. A cold night breeze brushed the back of my neck.

“Alright, let’s stop here for today.”

Cheon Seungsoo was the first to rise from his seat. His shadow stretched long on the wall.

“Tomorrow, we’ll share this with Team 3…”

With a *click*, the light flickered. For a moment, everyone’s faces froze. Darkness briefly filled the room before the light returned. In that short moment, the darkness outside seemed even thicker.

“Is the light just old?”

Moon Jinwook laughed awkwardly.

I fidgeted with the Green Emotion Spray in my pocket. But since there wasn’t much left, I decided not to use it. In situations like this, it was best to conserve it.

We each returned to our spots. Five yoga mats were spread out in the small room. I headed to the sink to wash up last. The night breeze was cold. The moonlight faintly shone on the moss-covered roof.

As I turned the old faucet, rusty water flowed for a moment before clear water came out. The sound of the water flowing with a metallic clang broke the silence of the night. Just as I splashed the cold water on my face…

I felt someone’s gaze on my back.

Instantly, my spine went cold. It felt like icy fingers were running down my spine. My hair stood on end. I quickly turned my head, but beyond the wall, there was nothing.

Only the moonlight illuminated the empty space. The moss-covered wall, the forest beyond, and the distant mountain ridge. There was no sign of any human shadow.

My heart raced. It felt like someone would jump out from behind the wall at any moment. But all I saw was the twisted shadow of an old tree.

I hurriedly finished washing up and returned to the room. With each heavy step, the old floor creaked.

The room was already engulfed in darkness. Moon Jinwook was snoring in the corner. His wristwatch reflected the moonlight, shining faintly. Narae seemed to still be awake, tossing and turning.

Even as I covered myself with the blanket, the uncomfortable feeling didn’t go away. It still felt like someone was watching me from outside.

I tried to sleep, but it wasn’t easy. Countless horror stories I had seen in the Horror Story Gallery flashed through my mind. From Japanese urban legends to Korean mountain village tales. But there were so many stories about being watched that it was hard to pinpoint which one this might be.

In the distance, an owl hooted. The sound breaking the midnight silence felt oddly ominous.

* * *

The next morning.

We had a quick meal of retort curry. At best, it wasn’t delicious, but it was decent enough to fill our stomachs.

“Did everyone sleep well last night?”

Kang Hana asked. Her voice carried a hint of exhaustion. Unlike her usual neat appearance, her clothes were slightly disheveled, and dark circles were evident under her eyes.

No one answered. We probably all had a similar night.

After breakfast, we headed to the village hall. It was where Team 3 and the D-class personnel were staying. The morning sun was warm, but the village’s atmosphere still felt cold. The sound of our footsteps echoed through the silent village.

“What? Seongho left a letter?”

The Team 3 leader’s eyes widened.

When we relayed the contents of the letter we found, he immediately mobilized the D-class personnel to search the hall.

D-class personnel in orange prison uniforms moved busily. Having been in prison for so long, they were well-disciplined.

“Check here too.”

Following Cheon Seungsoo’s instructions, the D-class personnel searched every corner of the room. Old cabinets, wardrobes, and drawers. Dust filled the air.

Soon, a new letter was found in the fourth cabinet. A note taped with cellophane was filled with dense handwriting.

Cheon Seungsoo unfolded the letter. The sound of flipping paper filled the silent space. The smell of dust and old wood stung my nose.

-X月 X日 Tuesday

Something is following and watching me. Every time I feel the gaze, I turn around, but there’s nothing. I asked my teammates, but it seems like I’m the only one experiencing this. Is it because I’ve been in the village too long that my mind is weakening?

X月 X日 Tuesday.

It was exactly three days after Team 3 had entered the village.

And the feeling of being watched. Yesterday, I also felt that gaze at the sink. It seems there really is something in this village.

-X月 X日 Sunday

Now I feel the gaze even in places where no one could be. Did I develop a mental illness from staying in the village too long? But my cognitive functions are perfectly normal. I asked the villagers and my teammates if they had similar experiences, but they seemed to know nothing about it.

As we read through the letter, the silence in the hall grew deeper. The D-class personnel stood in the corner, holding their breath.

-X月 X日 Wednesday

We tried to leave the village with the team, but we failed. The fog was too thick to see even an inch ahead. Even if we drove straight, we somehow ended up back in the village. It’s some kind of anomaly. When I asked the village chief about this phenomenon, he told me to stop talking nonsense. Maybe this entire S Village has been swallowed by a horror story.

I unconsciously looked out the window. The mountains surrounding the village were faintly visible in the morning fog. The satellite image I saw yesterday came to mind. A perfectly circular village. And the dense trees surrounding it.

And the final page.

-Scaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscaredscareds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