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Seojun let out a sigh of relief when he boarded the plane, clutching his bag close to his body as he navigated the aisle. Upon finding his seat, he plopped his bag down, sprawled as much as he could, and closed his eye, feeling the nervous jitters he had since leaving Wraithwood finally begin to stop.
After what happened at the camp, he had wanted to get out of the town by any means possible. Not just because he was chased by a serial killer, fought an alien, and discovered he wasn’t in a movie. Nor was it because of the words Johan had told him in the dark of night as they worked side by side in the woods. It was because his parents finally allowed him out, and what other place was he to go other than a whole new continent, away from everything that had plagued him since he was released from the hospital about a year ago.
Fiddling with his eyepatch, Seojun warily eyed the other passengers boarding the plane. There’s no way something will happen on this plane, right? That would be completely insane. He frowned, but that didn’t stop the alien. He grit his teeth, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked out the window. He had saved up a tiny bit of money working at Hamon’s, not to mention the money the government gave him after he signed the NDA, which meant that after he practically begged his parents to help pay for some of the flight cost, he ended up driving his parents to the nearby train station and hopped on the train.
While he wanted to go on a road trip to Georgia to visit his uncle, he decided he missed South Korea enough to take a flight there instead, figuring he could do the road trip once he came back. He took the train to the airport where he booked his ticket, and the rest unfolded from there. Since being reborn, he had been craving the familiar comforts that he just couldn’t get in the small California town his parents moved to. Besides, the change in scenery might do some good, he thought wryly to himself, remembering how trapped he felt in Wraithwood when he still thought he was in a movie. Plus, Johan can’t cling to me all the time…
Seojun frantically shook his head to get rid of those thoughts, ignoring the confused expressions of those around him, and turned his attention to the screen in front of him, tuning in to the tail end of the announcements. Reaching down to unzip his bag, he pulled out a sleep mask and put it on, welcoming the darkness. It wasn’t total darkness; a little light peeked in from the sides and by his nose, but that was exactly how he preferred it. It reminded him that he could regain his sight at any moment, and made him feel a little better about his missing eye. I will fall asleep, he promised himself, and when I wake up, we will be safely in the airport and there will have been nothing that happened in the air.
For once, the universe seemed inclined to grant his wish. When Seojun woke up, he felt refreshed in a way he hadn’t since he was five years old. A sense of calm washed over him as he made his way off the plane, grip loose on his bag. The familiar sounds of Korean hit his ears, and he felt himself untense, a weight he hadn’t known he was carrying slipped off his shoulders. He knew English, of course, but for twenty-plus years of his life he had lived in South Korea, and that wasn’t something that could be forgotten. He felt a trembling smile form on his face, blinking and taking in the shining sun.
As Seojun strolled through the airport, he glanced at what was being advertised, interested in what had changed and what remained the same since he died. The first thing he saw was a Samsung ad, causing him to shake his head fondly. Of course, he thought as he wheeled his suitcase across the floor, some things never change. He passed by a store with what looked to be an advertisement playing on a TV where a brunette woman seemed to be selling items. A few stores down, he spotted an advertisement selling what seemed to be hair loss supplements, with a red and yellow mascot cheerfully waving. Not much has changed, he mused, same old same old. Thank god! A true grin broke across his face as he exited the main airport doors, causing him to touch his face in wonder. There really was something special about returning to his original home. If only someone were here to enjoy-, he cut himself off, feeling a heat creep onto his face. He hit the side of his head to redirect his thoughts, taking out his new phone and opening Kakao Taxi so he could find a ride to take him to Seoul. Maybe that old store is still there, he thought, almost grimly, wouldn’t exactly hurt as much as the campground if I went to check.
After getting picked up and dropped off, Seojun felt almost compelled to stroll around. He glanced at his suitcase and bag, then looked around at the busy streets. Whatever, he finally decided, shrugging, it’s not like I have anything of worth aside from my phone and my wallet… He fumbled around in his bag for the aforementioned wallet, pulling it out and tucking it deep in his pocket. The bear plush charm swung outside his pocket, as if it wanted to take in the new sights. He began to walk, window shopping as he made his way to where he would be staying for the next few weeks. His uncle had been generous once again and sent him enough money to extend his trip, and Seojun was going to take advantage of that extra time.
After meandering around for a while, he found himself beginning to feel hungry. Looking quickly around, he spotted a department store just a little further ahead. Thank god, he thought as he hurried over, maybe I can buy some new clothes! The clothes in his bag weren’t horrible, but they were a remnant of Wraitwood, and Seojun really wanted to feel like he was starting anew during his time in Korea. Finding a bite to eat in the food court, he decided to stay in the department store longer after he looked for some clothes, since the air conditioning was pretty nice compared to the heat outside.
“What’s going on over there?” He wondered aloud, tilting his head as he spotted a line of teenagers standing outside what looked like a popup store. Above the store was a sign that read [Welcome, explorer of the darkness.] Seojun blinked, a little taken aback. Is it some horror event? He wondered queasily, shuddering under the memories of Hamon camp. He looked at the line again before determining it couldn’t be something too extreme if teenagers were being allowed in. Walking over slowly, still a bit hesitant, he perked up when he saw someone who seemed to be an adult wearing a hat. I’ll talk to that guy, see what he knows. Moving quicker, he cleared his throat before tapping the guy on the shoulder.
The guy jumped, whipping his head side to side to see who tapped him. “Ah, sorry about that,” Seojun sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “I wasn’t sure how to get your attention.”
“Um,” the man turned to face him, “are you waiting for tickets? They’re all sold out…”
“Oh, no!” Seojun waved his hands, “I just wanted to know what was going on here. Is it,” he reflexively bit his lip, “horror related?”
“Yes!” The man lit up, relaxing a bit, “It’s basically an open-source ghost story universe, you know, like creepypastas and whatnot.”
“Ah,” Seojun didn’t really know what the man meant by creepypastas, having spent all his time watching VHS tapes, “what’s it called?” If it were an open-sourced thing, then it was likely born on the internet, which he wasn’t exactly able to access at his house, for varying reasons.
“Well,” the man became a little bashful, “it’s called Dark Exploration Records.” Seojun just hummed, deciding whether or not he wanted to inquire further. He was still someone who enjoyed horror, but the fear of the gas-mask murderer and alien still haunted him.
“I may check it out then…” he said offhandedly, thinking about whether he was ready to try logging onto the internet for real, rather than just using apps like Kakao Taxi.
“Kim Soleum,” the man seemed to debate whether he should offer his hand for a handshake, but ultimately decided against it, which was a relief to Seojun. There were only so many times he wanted to explain the reason for wearing gloves.
“Thanks for the recommendation,” Seojun said casually, nodding his head. Soleum gave him a small smile before turning back to the line. Wheeling his suitcase as his bag hit his side, Seojun wondered if the man was as dedicated to his Dark Records or whatever as much as he was to his VHS horror tapes. If he is… Seojun shook his head. I hope nothing like what happened to me happens to him.
As he walked away from the popup store, he saw a glimpse of bright blond hair in the crowd. “Johan?” He said aloud, narrowing his eye. No, much too tall. The man had moved a little closer, and Seojun noticed his brown suit, which made him stand out even more in the crowd. Too tall, too formal, he shook his head to rid himself of thinking about Johan any longer, before moving farther into the department store.
***
Johan sighed, fiddling with a red fox and a yellow dragon plush charm as he sat at his desk. He had spotted an ad on a website recently, and he ordered the two charms, hoping to gift them to Seojun. He pouted, remembering where his love was at the moment, all the way in South Korea.
“Why did he have to go that far?” He muttered to himself, lightly stomping his foot, “The road trip would have been so much better. We could have had a star-crossed meeting at a motel, or maybe at a diner…” He smiled to himself, closing his eyes dreamily. He tossed the two plush charms off to the side, standing up from his chair to walk over to the door.
“Let’s see,” he hummed, “I should start preparing for when he comes back, shouldn’t I? Or maybe I can surprise him and meet him before he comes back~!”