Siblings Working in Business (170)
The Spy
“Hey! No, Oppa, whatever!”
“Oppa-whatever?”
“Anyway! You went with me when I said let’s go to Space Express!”
“Did I ask you to go with me? I said let’s go together if you’re going.”
“You even helped, uh, Oppa buy the Gear doll!”
“You’re the one who told me about it first. That’s that, and this is this.”
“What the… ha!”
Though they bickered incessantly, Eun-ho and Eun-ji’s current argument had a reason.
Since Space Express, Eun-ho had used Eun-ji to deduce information about the spy and even obtained a B-grade hint for the next mission.
Furthermore, the B-grade hints given out were all different.
Like puzzle pieces, there was no rule against sharing the hints with others.
That was why…
“Show me your hint, Oppa!”
Eun-ji confidently demanded, as her contribution(?) to Eun-ho obtaining the B-grade hint was considerable.
“No.”
“…”
As expected, Eun-ho’s reply…
Was firm.
‘Fine, I have a hint too.’
Surprisingly, Eun-ji gave up quickly and changed tactics.
There was a more pressing issue than the hint right now.
Eun-ji gulped and looked around.
As they waited for the park to clear out for filming, it was already the middle of the night.
Except for the central area where the PD, cast, and staff were gathered, the surroundings were pitch black, without a single light on.
‘It feels like a ghost will pop out…’
Eun-ji shook her head rapidly to dispel the thought.
It was because of something Eun-ho had mentioned in passing, about how ghosts appear when you talk about them.
The PD had already told them that the midnight mission would divide them into four teams.
This meant that one person would have to complete the given mission alone in the amusement park at midnight.
She wanted to avoid being that unlucky person.
“Th-then, let’s be on the same team!”
Eun-ho smiled, seeing right through Eun-ji.
To any third party, it was a gentlemanly smile that suggested he would agree to anything.
But Eun-ji was only further irritated by that smile.
‘Lee Eun-ho is scheming again…’
Eun-ji’s prediction was accurate.
“No~ way.”
“You used me to get that much, so you can at least be on the same team with me!”
“You just got caught. And I don’t want to be on your team because you’re bad at games.”
“…”
Eun-ji’s fists clenched at Eun-ho’s teasing words.
If it weren’t for the cameras, she would have already left handprints on his back.
“Haha, you can’t curse, so you’re speechless, aren’t you?”
“I am not!”
“If you’re not, why can’t you speak?”
“I can speak!”
“No, you can’t.”
“I can, you Siberian twenty-eight-color crayon! That’s why even Briquette hates you!”
“…”
“Lee Eun-ho, you—.”
It was a broadcast.
She had to find a way to express herself without cursing on air…!
“You’re like a tangerine eaten after brushing your teeth!”
“…Huh.”
Eun-ho burst into a bewildered laugh as Eun-ji stammered, then yelled.
It was strangely accurate—not quite a curse, but it felt like one.
“You’re annoying!”
“…”
Hmph!
Eun-ji resolutely turned her back on Eun-ho.
“Unnie!”
Eun-ji headed towards Choi Su-min and Jo Sa-rang.
Her goal was singular:
To find a partner to survive this horror content.
“Oh, no way…”
“…Uh, yeah. I think it’s the ‘no way’ that Eun-ji’s thinking…”
“You two are a team?!”
“Yeah…”
But perhaps there was a reason they were together.
Choi Su-min and Jo Sa-rang had already formed a team.
Eun-ji brushed back her long bangs, which had fallen over her face, instead of wiping her brow due to her makeup.
‘…I’m screwed.’
Now that the cameras were rolling…
Unable to utter those words, she sighed instead.
Just then…
Someone approached Eun-ji with their back to the filming lights.
Eun-ji turned her head to see who it was, but the bright lights and backlighting made it difficult to recognize them immediately.
“Eun-ji, want to be on my team?”
After a break and the completion of filming preparations…
The PD gathered the members again and explained the second mission.
“Before we vote to decide the teams, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“What? Is there something else?”
Choi Su-min and Ryu Seok-hyun asked with surprised eyes.
“There’s a spy hidden among you.”
“Huh?”
“A spy?”
“Since when?”
“Since the moment you got off the bus.”
The PD answered with a relaxed smile to Choi Su-min’s surprised question.
Except for Eun-ho, who already knew, the other quiet members all had the same reaction.
“And the current spy has obtained a ‘secret item’ by succeeding in the first mission.”
“What’s the secret item?”
Following Eun-ji’s question, a heavy sigh was heard.
It was Eun-ho.
“Are you stupid…?”
“Why, why?”
“It’s a secret item.”
“No, I mean, what is the secret item?”
“It’s a secret!”
“No, so what’s the secret… oh.”
Eun-ji’s face went blank mid-sentence.
Realizing she had asked a silly question, she couldn’t bring herself to finish.
“Ugh, you idiot.”
When Eun-ho chuckled and teased her, Eun-ji’s face flushed noticeably, embarrassed.
“Team A, Jo Sa-rang, Choi Su-min. Team B…”
Team B was Ryu Seok-hyun and Seo Seo-un.
Team C was Jeong Bae-chan and Lee Eun-ji.
And lastly, Team D was Eun-ho alone.
The team decisions had been made in advance while the filming was being prepared, so it went very quickly.
“Please each team draw one slip from the box.”
A staff member held out a white box.
The members crowded around and each took a slip as instructed.
Then, another staff member approached and handed each of them another slip.
Eun-ho unfolded and checked the paper he drew from the white box first.
There’s a spaceship nearby and lots of robots.
I keep hearing strange noises.
Please…
Save me!
‘Spaceship, robots.’
Everland’s ‘Future City’ zone, with its strong sci-fi atmosphere, had a spaceship-shaped rotating ride and several robot-themed rides for children.
So, the location seemed to be Future City, but what were the strange noises?
Although he pinpointed the location, he couldn’t quite grasp what the ‘strange noises’ referred to.
Wondering if there was a hint, he unfolded the other paper.
3
‘…?’
He even turned the paper over to see if there was anything else written, but there was only the single number.
「“The B-grade hint is ‘light.’”」
He wondered how it related to the B-grade hint he’d heard earlier.
While Eun-ho pondered, the staff distributed a cell phone, a flashlight, and a handheld camera to each team.
“All notifications and communications during the mission will be sent to the cell phones we just gave you.”
“Okay.”
Eun-ho, being alone, put the cell phone in his pocket and held the camera and flashlight in his right and left hands like dual swords.
Now that he had all the required items…
‘Light, what does light mean?’
He figured he would understand once he got there.
Recalling the PD’s words, Eun-ho headed towards the Future City zone mentioned in the request.
While Eun-ho was the first to depart among the four teams…
Eun-ji and Jeong Bae-chan were only just gathering their equipment.
“Eun-ji, do you want to hold the camera?”
When Jeong Bae-chan asked, Eun-ji quickly ran a simulation in her head.
Would it be less scary to hold the camera?
Or less scary to hold the flashlight?
“…I’ll hold the flashlight!”
She decided it was better to at least have a light in her hand.
Goblins suddenly appeared next door.
I keep seeing lights around.
Please…
Save me!
After finishing their preparations, Jeong Bae-chan and Eun-ji also checked the papers they drew from the box.
But the moment they read the contents…
Countless question marks popped up over Eun-ji’s head.
It seemed Jeong Bae-chan felt the same.
Hoping for a hint like Eun-ho, they unfolded and checked the other papers they received.
1
2
Eun-ji had slip number 1, and Jeong Bae-chan had number 2.
“What do these numbers mean?”
“I wonder.”
The owners of the slips only became more puzzled.
Eun-ho, having already arrived at the Future City zone through the darkness…
Ding.
He took the cell phone out of his pocket at the unfamiliar ringtone.
As the staff had instructed, a message had arrived.
[A, B, C, and D teams have all departed to complete their requests.]
It seemed the others had just left.
‘But they only said there was a spy, they didn’t say anything about them actually doing anything?’
Speak of the devil, another message arrived shortly after.
“Huh?”
The moment Eun-ho checked the new message, a dumbfounded expression spread across his face.
It had only been a little over 10 minutes since the start…
[Team C, Lee Eun-ji eliminated.]
“What did she do to get eliminated already?”
Eun-ji was eliminated.
He was about to facepalm when another message arrived.
[Location: Everland Horror House.
Time limit: 30 minutes.
※The eliminated member who fails to be rescued cannot participate in the next mission.※
Reward: Something good (really good)]
The moment he saw the reward, Eun-ho thought, ‘What the heck is this?’
But since the camera was pointed directly at him, he couldn’t say it out loud.
‘It’s Team C…’
He figured Jeong Bae-chan would handle it.
“I should just do my own thing.”
Despite telling himself that, the more he tried not to care, the more things came to mind.
The hidden mission filming from earlier that day kept nagging at him.
The wig just swayed and fell to the floor, but Eun-ji was so scared that her screams and curses were loud enough to pierce through the thick doors of the set.
「“Uwaaaagh, hic, huuuhhh, hic, huuh…”」
Even Seul-gi and Hyun-woo rushed over in a fluster at Eun-ji’s cries as she ran out, tears and snot streaming down her face.
Eun-ji was crying like a little kid.
Saying she was scared.
Well, Eun-ji was scared of things like this…
“…”
This was just to check on Jeong Bae-chan, who was one of the most likely spy suspects. That’s all.
Eun-ho, who was heading towards the spaceship ride, convinced himself as he turned towards the Horror House.
Ding.
Just then…
Another message arrived not long after the last one.
He was starting to feel uneasy just hearing the message notification.
Eun-ho nervously checked the message.
[Team C, Jeong Bae-chan eliminated.]
Huh? Wait a minute?
His most likely suspect was gone.
“What’s going on?”
Contrary to his confused mind, his legs seemed to know where to go and ran in one direction.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
A familiar, loud scream echoed throughout Everland.
“Please don’t curse, Lee Eun-ji!”
Eun-ho’s pace quickened, his heart pounding in his chest.