In response to Tae Jeong’s gaze, Seung Hyeon zoomed in on the spirit photo.
“Was it about three years ago? I took it while driving on the outer ring road. I was smoking a cigarette at a rest stop when I shot it.”
Philip, standing next to him, added an explanation.
As Seung Hyeon observed it, he felt an unprecedented sense of fear.
Thud-
A dull noise was heard again.
Seung Hyeon and Tae Jeong jumped, startled, their shoulders trembling.
“What… what was that?”
Seung Hyeon asked as Philip stepped out of the room to check.
The studio light that had fallen earlier was now completely shattered on the ground.
“Darn it. That was expensive,”
He muttered while picking up the fallen light and setting it upright.
Meanwhile, Tae Jeong’s camera, which had been recording, flickered briefly.
“Whoa, what’s going on?”
Tae Jeong exclaimed, alarming Seung Hyeon.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, the camera just acted up for a moment.”
The live-view screen, which had been showing the recording, flickered bizarrely and then returned to normal.
“What’s happening?”
Seung Hyeon questioned.
“I’m not sure. When taking spirit photos, strange things do happen occasionally. But it’s the first time I’ve seen this happen in a studio. Maybe the tripod loosened,”
Philip shrugged before re-entering the room, appearing far calmer compared to Seung Hyeon and Tae Jeong.
With a composed demeanor, he continued,
“As I said earlier, there wasn’t any special technique involved. I just thought, ‘This spot might have something,’ and pressed the shutter.”
“Does it make any difference whether it’s a DSLR or a film camera?”
“No. Spirits captured on film cameras can also appear on DSLRs,” Philip replied.
“I see. Among all the photos you’ve taken, was there one that made you truly believe, ‘This is definitely a ghost’? I imagine it’s hard to be certain just from capturing such images.”
When Seung Hyeon asked this, Philip opened a drawer from a nearby desk and took out a newspaper clipping.
“This is an article about a fatal car accident that happened at the same spot back then.”
Seung Hyeon took the newspaper with a surprised look.
[Tragedy on Seoul’s Outer Ring Road]
[A Family Outing Ends in Disaster]
[Mother Dies; Father and Child Severely Injured]
Reading the article sent shivers down Seung Hyeon’s spine.
“The spot where I saw the spirit was exactly the accident site. I don’t know if the ghost in the image is the mother from that accident, but that experience made me believe in ghosts,”
“I see,”
“There are many more photos I took a long time ago. Most of them are tied to incidents or accidents. That’s why I was interested in this [Beautiful Landscapes] project as well.”
“Ah, I see.”
It became clear why he was interested in this case.
It also matched what Director Kim Baekchun had speculated.
“Then you must have looked up information after seeing the ghost photo taken at the Taeyoung Reservoir?”
“Yes. That ghost seems to be ‘Ms. Shin Mo,’ the director of Taeyoung Daycare. Other than that, I couldn’t find much information.”
“Ah, I see.”
Seung Hyeon nodded.
Sure enough, there was limited information online about both the victim and the perpetrator.
When Seung Hyeon gestured to Tae Jeong, he immediately stopped the recording.
“Would you consider filming at Taeyoung where that woman was captured?”
“Yes. When I have time, I plan to visit and film there myself.”
“Would you be willing to accompany us during our shoot?”
Seung Hyeon asked.
Tae Jeong looked at Seung Hyeon in surprise.
Bringing a guest along wasn’t part of the plan.
“Yes, of course. I’m always up for capturing ghosts,”
Philip replied with a broad smile, nodding.
“Hold on a second.”
Seung Hyeon motioned for Tae Jeong to follow him and stepped outside the studio.
Once they were outside, Tae Jeong immediately asked,
“Senior, bringing along a guest wasn’t discussed with the CP (Chief Producer), was it?”
Seung Hyeon waved off the concern and pulled out his phone.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
Seung Hyeon promptly called CP Lee Yeolsang.
“Brother, we’re in the middle of filming [Mystery Investigators]. Would it be okay to include a guest on-site?”
[Guest? Who? A celebrity? We don’t have the budget for that.]
“Not a celebrity, but a photographer. A specialist in spirit photography.”
[Spirit photography? Hmm.]
“Wouldn’t it add to the visual appeal to bring along an expert in photography?”
[That’s true. Go ahead. Since they’re a civilian, stick to the standard appearance fee and file for payment approval.]
“Understood.”
Seung Hyeon nodded and hung up the phone.
Everything was falling into place quickly.
Seung Hyeon and Tae Jeong returned to the studio and resumed their conversation.
“As discussed, it would be great if you could accompany us for the coverage,”
Seung Hyeon said, Philip nodded in agreement.
“I’ll also contact our broadcasting team to provide details about the appearance fee. Could you share your email address?”
“Yes, it’s on the business card I gave you earlier.”
“Ah, got it.”
Seung Hyeon took a photo of Philip’s business card and sent it to the RBS HR team.
He then texted them to send over the contract by email.
“All the related documents and necessary materials will be sent by email. Please check and sign electronically.”
“Understood.”
Philip nodded.
“Yes, that’s fine. We’ll edit the footage captured so far. We’re planning to move right away; is that possible for you?”
“Of course, I’ll get moving right away,”
Philip responded promptly to Seung Hyeon’s question.
“Then just bring the necessary equipment down with you.”
“Got it. Head down, and I’ll grab what I need and join you.”
Philip replied confidently.
Seung Hyeon motioned to Tae Jeong, signaling for them to head out of the studio first.
***
“Phew.”
Tae Jeong exhaled a long plume of cigarette smoke next to the car.
Meanwhile, Seung Hyeon continued his research on Taeyoung Village beside him.
“But, senior, aren’t you being too hasty with this casting? He could be a con artist for all we know.”
Tae Jeong voiced his concern.
“It makes a good picture,”
Seung Hyeon replied simply.
An internet-famous spirit photography expert was the perfect guest for the concept of [Mystery Investigators], which Seung Hyeon was developing.
“I just hope this doesn’t cause any problems later,”
“Problems? Like what?”
Seung Hyeon looked at him with a questioning expression.
“Well, like people saying we used an unverified guest or something like that.”
Tae Jeong’s voice wavered slightly under Seung Hyeon’s confident attitude.
Seung Hyeon slapped Tae Jeong on the shoulder with a grin.
“Don’t worry about that. What we need isn’t someone with purely objective expertise, but someone who can give a narrative grounded in supernatural phenomena. He’s perfect for that.”
Tae Jeong pursed his lips but didn’t argue further.
“Still, I mean…”
“Hey. Even if we bring in a so-called ‘objective expert,’ there’ll always be someone out there claiming they’re more qualified. Especially in this field. That’s why the best expert is the one who fits our needs.”
Seung Hyeon’s stance was firm.
Although Tae Jeong felt uneasy, he couldn’t deny that Seung Hyeon was rarely wrong.
Just then, Philip came down, loaded with camera gear.
“Let’s head to Jereung City!”
Seung Hyeon called out, opening the trunk of the car.
Philip carefully placed his gear in the trunk, avoiding Seung Hyeon’s equipment, and then settled into the back seat.
The vehicle carrying the three individuals sped straight toward Taeyeong Town in Jereung City, Gyeonggi Province.
***
5 PM.
Inside the car heading to Jereung City, Seung Hyeon continued researching the case.
During his search, he found a video interview featuring a police officer who had investigated the incident.
The officer, who looked relatively young in the old footage, was explaining the situation during the discovery in a news clip.
Jin Bae Cheol / Major Crimes Unit, Taeyoung Police Station
Seeing the name, Seung Hyeon’s search revealed that the officer had been promoted to lieutenant and was now working at the Taeyoung Precinct.
Concerned about possibly offending him, Seung Hyeon dialed the precinct.
[Yes, this is Taeyoung Precinct.]
A deep male voice answered.
“Hello, this is Choi Seung Hyeon, PD for the RBS program [Mystery Investigators]. Could I speak with Lieutenant Jin Bae Cheol?”
[One moment, please.]
After a brief pause, a middle-aged man’s voice came on the line.
“Hello, this is Lieutenant Jin Bae Cheol. Are you the PD from RBS [Mystery Investigators]?”
“Yes, that’s correct. We’re investigating an incident that occurred near Taeyoung Reservoir in the past. While gathering related materials, we came across a record of your interview when you were with the Major Crimes Unit.”
[Ah, yes. That was during my time at Jereung Police Station’s Criminal Division. I was on-site back then as a detective.]
“Ah, I see.”
[There were so many strange things about that case that I wanted to investigate further, but with the perpetrator caught and the case closed, there was nothing more to pursue.]
“What struck you as strange?”
Seung Hyeon asked.
On the other end of the line, there was a long sigh.
[That’s not something I can discuss over the phone. Let’s meet in person.]
“Yes, that would be great.”
[Are you in Seoul right now?]
“No, we’re heading to Taeyoung Town.”
[Let’s meet at Taeyoung Reservoir around 9 PM, at the spot where the ghost was reportedly seen.]
“Understood.”
[But please keep my identity confidential. It’s not ideal for an officer to comment on a closed case.]
“Of course. I’ll see you shortly.”
As Seung Hyeon hung up the phone, he snapped his fingers.
He felt like he had just caught a big lead.
“This is it!”
