When The Phone Rings Temp 1

Chapter 64

Even though Heeju’s bank account was overflowing with an astonishing amount of money and she had gained the freedom she had always dreamed of, she felt no joy.

『 “Candidate Baek Ui-yong is under investigation today for allegations of bribery and illegal presidential campaign funds. Last month, Professor Shim Gyu-jin from Hankuk University faced accusations of tax evasion involving hundreds of billions of won—”』

Heeju blankly watched the news about her in-laws, now suspects in a criminal investigation. Yet, no emotion stirred within her.

Just as she was about to fall asleep—
Ring! Rrrring!

The echoing sound of a ringtone piercing the silence jolted her awake. Heeju frowned slightly and grabbed her cell phone. If it was either her sister or the center director, she wanted to reject the call and turn off her phone.

Heejoo’s eyes struggled to focus as she scanned the screen.

675…?

The caller was an unregistered number and an unfamiliar area code. As she hovered over the end-call button, the persistent, grating ring unsettled her.

A strange premonition hit Heeju. She pursed her lips and finally tapped the receive button. It was undoubtedly an impulsive decision.

“……?”
— “……”
“Hello?”
— “……”

The other end of the line was silent.

“Who is this?”
— “……”

Suddenly, the call was cut off with a click.

Heeju remained motionless, the phone gripped in her hand. Despite the room heater being on, she felt a shivering sensation. She couldn’t figure out why she was getting chills.

But from that day on, the ghostly calls started coming in every night.

 

***

 

Ring! Rrriiinngg!

Today, the call came again.

One day, two days, three days, four… For nearly a week, the same number called at the exact same time, only to hang up without a word.

Heeju didn’t block the number, even though the ringing woke her up every time.

“Hello?”
— “……”
“Haah… I don’t know who you are, but…”
— “……”
“You do realize it’s the middle of the night here, right?”
— “……”
“Don’t you ever sleep?”

In her half-asleep state, she rambled on.

“Can’t you talk?”
— “……”
“Well… actually, I’m the one who is mute.”

Heeju didn’t know why she was acting like a drunken uncle.

“Why don’t you hang up first today?”
— “……”
“Are you even a person? Is there an AI or machine on the other side?”
— “……”

And so the empty, one-sided conversations continued night after night.

Suddenly, the TV, which had been turned on for a while, was broadcasting the last video of Baek Sa-eon before his accident.

“……!”

Time seemed to stop as Heeju’s body went rigid, an icy chill creeping into her very bones. Her tears were about to fall off.

[ “Find me.” ]

Their gazes met across the screen, and a chilling emptiness filled her.

‘What did he mean? What was he asking her to find?’

His face, so familiar and yet so alien now, twisted her insides. She yearned for answers, but only harsh gasps escaped her lips.

At that moment, a loud crash came from the other end of the phone. Only then did Heeju remember she was still on the call.

― “…orada ……yapıyorsun…”

The once-silent call was now filled with clamor, as if a door had opened to chaos. Distant foreign words, noisy chatter, and an overwhelming racket spilled through the line. And amidst it all, the steady sound of someone breathing in and out.

“Excuse me…”

Before she could finish, the call abruptly ended. Heeju ran a hand through her hair in exasperation.

“Am I losing my mind…?”

She glanced anxiously at the urn.

 

***

 

“Are you sure that you’re not being scammed?”

“What?”

Heeju had gone to the service center to inquire about the strange calls. Upon hearing her situation, the consultant started speaking in a hurry.

“675 is definitely an international number. But the call rate is 1,400 won per minute. Basically, it’s a ploy by local telecom operators to randomly dial numbers and rack up call fees.”
“…”
“At least, that’s our guess. This region doesn’t see much international call traffic, so the rates are steep. That said, there haven’t been any major victims reported so far.”

Heeju struggled to keep up with the fast-talking employee.

“Do you know anyone in Papua New Guinea?”
“Papua… where?”

She blinked in confusion.

“Papua New Guinea. A country in Oceania.”
“No, I don’t.”
“That’s where these calls are coming from.”

Heeju was at a loss for words. With the staff member’s explanation, she couldn’t argue further. She stood up to leave but then hesitated.

“Could the number have been spoofed?”
“Spoofed?”

The staff widened their eyes in surprise before letting out a small laugh.

“Yes, for example, if the calls are only targeting me…”
“Why would they go that far?”

His wide eyes showed genuine curiosity.

“Uh…”

Heeju scratched her forehead in embarrassment.

“It’s just that… someone I met before did that. They manipulated numbers to persistently call just one person.”
“Why?”
“W- Well, if you’re asking why…”

Heeju rolled her eyes, stalling for an answer.

“Maybe they had unfinished business?”
“…”
“Maybe they were trying to send me some sort of message. One of my nicknames is 406, and the call I’m receiving is from 675. Regarding 406, the number 5 should have been in place of a 0 to maintain the serial. But the caller added 5 after 67 making is 675—”
“…”
“Doesn’t that seem meaningful?” Heeju leaned in closer.

The employee was silent for a moment before their expression turned serious.

“Ma’am, is it possible you’ve come to the wrong place for this…?”

The consultant waved a hand toward their manager, a stout man who soon approached.

“No, no, please just hear me out—”

The consultant hastily shifted the burden of the “troublemaker” onto someone else.

 

***

 

I was treated the same way at the police station where I went to trace the location. No one would listen to my hypothesis.

An insatiable hunger and thirst plagued her all day, leading to constant snacking. Yet, her heart pounded relentlessly, a frantic rhythm that refused to subside despite the lack of any apparent cause for anxiety.

Heeju waited for night to fall again.

Ring! Riinngg!
She leaped to the couch and grabbed her phone with the precision of a soldier assembling a rifle, pressing it to her ear in a flash.

“Hello?”
— “…”

The silence on the other end was the same, but her heart pounded painfully in her chest.

“Are you calling from overseas?”
— “…”
“Why are you calling me? There must be a reason.”
— “…”
“Whether it’s a prank, spam, insurance, or a loan offer.”
— “…”
“Are you trying to sell me something?”

The longer the silence stretched, the stronger her bizarre conviction grew.

“You’re not trying to scam me for money, are you?”
— “…”
“And how would you even know I’m a wealthy widow…”

People might call her crazy if they heard her saying this.

“Could it be…”

Heeju paced the spacious living room nervously.

“Baek Sa-eon… no, I mean…”
— “…”
“Are you my husband?”

Could it be…a call from her deceased husband?

 

***

 

“I can’t believe, you reached out to me first for once.’

Heeju chewed on her fingernails, debating whether to share her thoughts. But her sister, being a journalist, might actually appreciate a conspiracy theory. Heeju fidgeted with her teacup before cautiously speaking.

“How are things going with… you know, that case?”
“What case?”
“The Baek Jang-ho family…”
“Ah,” Hong In-ah nodded indifferently.

“They’re finished. This time, there’s no way they’ll escape. The funny part is that even though Baek Jang-ho’s relatives are scattered all over the upper echelons of the prosecution, they’re all pretending not to know him.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ve all got massive skeletons in their closets, too.”
“Huh?”
“Whoever’s behind this is brilliant. I have to admit.”

With a shrug, In-ah dismissed the thought.

“The corruption tied to Professor Shim Kyu-jin is even worse than Baek’s. Even Baek Sa-eon’s aide was part of Shim’s faction. He’s going to trial and will serve time.”
“…”
“But are you okay? You don’t look so good.”
“Huh?”

In-ah flinched at the ice-cold touch of Heeju’s hand.

“Did you eat something bad? Your hands are freezing.”
“Sister…”
“Is there a pharmacy nearby?”
“Baek Sa-eon… Is he really dead?”
“What?”
“Is Baek Sa-eon really dead?”
“…”

Sure enough, her sister’s face hardened instantly.

“What are you talking about?”

Heeju lowered her voice and leaned closer.

“Think about it. You said it was strange too. All the journalists were gathered in the press hall, so who was Baek Sa-eon holding a press conference with?”
“…”
“And those reports about multiple minor injuries—did you confirm with the emergency rooms? Were there actually any injured people? What about the journalists who were with Baek Sa-eon? Did you check any of that?”

In-ah peered into Heeju’s eyes as if examining her sanity.

“You seem fine…”
“Baek Sa-eon is alive.”
“…!”
“He keeps calling me at night.”

Heeju whispered with wild, glinting eyes. In response, Hong In-ah wordlessly slammed her forehead into the table.