Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 219.2

With a slight smile, Kwak Jekang explained why the two of them had been summoned.

Simply put, it was because they needed two people familiar with Darknesses, but not yet heavily contaminated.

“The employees who usually assist are from the Security Team, but they can’t exactly stroll into a broadcasting station in broad daylight. Haha!”

Exactly that.

This particular ghost story had arisen in a place crowded with the eyes of the public. A broadcasting station. To properly confirm it, cooperation from related parties was necessary.

Excessively conspicuous supernatural beings or Security Team members could not possibly make normal outings during the day, and they couldn’t naturally step to the forefront here.

As the researcher explained, saying ‘We’ve already secured a PD (producer),’ Lee Seonghae smiled brightly.

“So we’ll be bringing back the dangerous Darkness from the broadcasting station!”

“That’s right!”

“Mm, that sounds good!”

If Daydream were to isolate and secure that Darkness, then no ordinary people would be caught up in the dangerous ghost story any longer.

Rarely ever did Lee Seonghae feel glad to take on a task that started from such a premise.

Soon, the method of transport of the ‘employee’ was introduced.

“Now then, the employee will remain inside here. The two of you can carry and move it.”

Seeing the Security Team employee be ‘stored’ as though by some lie inside the black transport case, the two Field Exploration Team members felt an uncanny sensation akin to what they felt within Darknesses.

And they were also handed a communication device, in case of an emergency.

A small walkie-talkie.

“It’s a radio connected to the Security Team handlers… well, if an ‘emergency situation’ occurs, just use it.”

The researcher laughed, saying that if they were rookies, this alone would have made them nervous.

And a quick preliminary call was also conducted.

Click.

[Um… can you hear me…]

“Yes. Loud and clear!”

“Yup. Supervisor Pony from the I-squad is right here, and I’m Dolphin from the B-squad! Pleased to work with you.”

Silence.

[…B-squad?]

“Yes.”

[…I see.]

[Um… carry him… carefully. Don’t drop him…]

The languid male voice slowly explained.

How to call the responsible Security Team handlers in case of a problem.

And even how to communicate briefly with the ‘employee’ while he was inside the case.

[If ‘yes’… one knock. If ‘no’, two knocks… That’s how.]

“Oh, understood.”

Kang Yihak realized.

That while the Security Team voice beyond the radio spoke with Assistant Manager Lee, Section Chief Kwak Jekang was barely suppressing his smirk as he watched.

But that had nothing to do with her!

Realizing there was no money to be made there, Kang Yihak immediately turned her head away.

Toward something that did smell like money.

The transport case holding the employee.

Dark, black, and cold, it emanated an eerie presence even just sitting on the floor…

“Haha… then, shall I carry him? This kind of task should be left to a subordinate, shouldn’t it!”

How much would it be worth?

If she could slip away with this transport case as it was?

Somewhere in the annex was said to be a Darkness that would give back in gold the weight of whatever amusing thing you offered it. What if she offered this case?

Kang Yihak drew closer to the case…

“……”

Watching from the side, however, Dolphin spoke.

“Excuse me.”

“……Yes?”

“I’ll carry it. The case.”

“…Yes!”

And so, Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae picked up the transport case.

It was cold and light.

Though a dense Darkness was within, Lee Seonghae stroked the iron bars without hesitation and asked,

“Are you comfortable?”

Tap.

“What a relief!”

Humming to herself, she held the transport case dearly in her arms.

Then, together with Pony, she set out for the site.

To the broadcasting station.

* * *

“Uh, th-that, um, you’re the people the agency introduced us to, right? Dreamwalking?”

“Yesyes.”

They were guided into the Entertainment Department’s editing room through a prearranged entrance for associates.

There, a producer with dark eye circles, wearing a haggard expression, received them alone inside a sealed room.

He seemed to trust the meticulous identity papers Daydream Inc. used whenever employees were forced to handle supernatural matters in the civilian world. At that, the PD drew a breath and continued.

“To think I’d actually meet people who specialize in this kind of thing… S-So, this is really something like an exorcism, right?”

“Of course.”

Perhaps because the two strange people in suits and masks gave a peculiar sense of reliability, the PD calmed slightly.

Even so, his face remained pale. Flesh sunken, his features were steeped in worry and fear.

Not just the PD. On their way in, the head writer, two assistant writers, and the lighting director they passed all looked unwell.

Something known to everyone here, to this extent.

“Y-You’ve heard the story, haven’t you? About the current situation…”

Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae recalled.

An internet post attached to the documents on the table.

A chilling urban legend circulating among civilians.

[Has anyone seen this man on a PBS broadcast program? (photos attached)]

========================

Anyone remember PBS?

Even kids in school now have probably at least heard of it.

It was an old broadcasting channel from about 20 years ago, now long shut down.

Back in the ’80s and ’90s, a lot of the popular variety shows of the time aired on PBS. Things like ‘Parlor Sports Day’, ‘The Family is Coming’, ‘Hot Talk Talk’, ‘Joyful Saturday Night’.

========================

Attached were a number of images.

Large colorful subtitles, low-quality resolution, exaggerated audience reactions and sound effects.

Scenes from various 00s variety shows that now looked tacky, yet stirred a faint sense of nostalgia.

They all had one thing in common.

Every single one had lots of people.

========================

You know those variety shows with tons of people?

Packed with panelists, or special episodes with dozens of participants, or else hundreds of audience members reacting on cue, captured in sound and shot on screen.

Before observational variety shows or YouTube content blew up, these kinds of shows were the trend. There are still plenty who miss them. On the flip side, many found them messy and tacky.

But anyway, back then, this style of variety basically dominated.

And during that time, a rumor quietly spread among PDs and editors working in the studios.

Take a look at this.

(photo)

========================

It was a still image, seemingly captured from video, showing people competing in a sports meet on a traditional floor-mat style set.

‘Parlor Sports Day’, exactly as described, one of PBS’s variety shows.

And the photos didn’t stop there.

They kept going, these scattered captures from completely different variety programs.

‘The Family is Coming’. ‘Hot Talk Talk’. ‘Joyful Saturday Night’…

And finally.

========================

Did you notice?

========================

The images were shown again, this time with red circles drawn around the corners.

A single man.

========================

It’s the same person.

========================

A man with black eyes staring at the camera.

Wearing a cap, lips curved in a closed smile without showing teeth.

========================

They say this man was spotted in most of the variety shows broadcast on PBS, whether among the cast, the audience, or just in the crowd.

An editor noticed something strange while working, and upon checking, realized he really was there.

And as people began discussing it, they realized something else…

This man only appears in episode 6.

========================

A caption followed beneath the photos.

========================

To be precise, the rumor is that he only appears in episodes ending with the number 6.

Creepy, right?

But, you know, the broadcasting world is full of ghost stories. Ghost sightings are common too…

So it was just something whispered among insiders, maybe appearing in the odd ghost story magazine at the time, getting faintly rumored among viewers.

And of course, in probability, it wasn’t impossible that the same person could repeatedly get on panel shows or into audiences.

But then, one anomaly occurred.

========================

A newspaper article was attached.

An incident where broadcast data was lost due to a power outage at the station.

========================

Because of the blackout, there were problems saving edited footage. Documentaries and news were affected too. But the important part is this:

Among the lost data was the final edit of ‘Hot Talk Talk’ episode 166.

In the end, episode 166 aired only as a highlight compilation of previous episodes…

And.

That’s when things started getting stranger.

……

That man started appearing in every single highlight reel.

Salt Goblin

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