When The Phone Rings-Chapter 64

Her finger hovered over the decline button, but the sharp, insistent ring gnawed at her nerves in a way she couldn’t quite ignore.

A strange feeling tugged at the back of her mind.

Chewing on her lip, Heeju finally swiped to answer the call.

It was an impulsive decision.

"...Hello?"

—...

"Hello?"

—...

There was only silence on the other end.

—Who... is this?

—...

—Who are you...

Suddenly, the call ended with a harsh beep, beep—

Heeju remained frozen, holding the phone to her ear.

Did I forget to turn on the heat?

She rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the unexpected chill that had crept over her.

She couldn’t explain it.

The sinking feeling in her chest, like her heart had plummeted.

But starting that night, the ghostly calls began coming every single night.

***

Ring, ring, ring!

The call came again tonight.

Day after day, without fail, the same number called at the exact same time, only to hang up after a few moments.

For days—one, two, three, four... even through the sixth and seventh—this bizarre ritual continued.

Each time, the ringing woke Heeju from her sleep, yet she never blocked the number.

"Hello?"

—...

"Haah... I don't know who you are."

—...

"It's the middle of the night here, you know."

—...

"Do you not sleep either?"

Half-asleep, she found herself spilling out random thoughts.

"Can't you talk?"

—...

"Well... actually, I used to be mute."

She didn’t know why she was rambling like a drunken old man.

"Are you not hanging up first tonight?"

—...

"Are you even human?"

—...

"Is this some AI or something? Am I talking to a machine?"

These empty, pointless nights continued.

Nights where she clung to the voiceless calls, mumbling as if spilling her deepest fears to a faceless bartender.

Then, out of nowhere, the TV she’d left on began broadcasting Baek Saeon’s final video from before the accident.

"…!"

Heeju froze, unable even to blink. A cold wave washed over her body.

Her eyes stung, as if filled with cement dust, just like that day.

"『Find me.』"

Through the screen, their eyes locked.

It felt like her heart had plummeted into an abyss.

What does that mean?

What am I supposed to find? How?

She wanted to argue with that familiar, achingly distant face staring back at her.

Her breath became ragged, hitching uncontrollably as strained sounds escaped her throat—ugh, hic.

Then, a loud clatter burst from the other end of the phone line.

Only then did Heeju remember she was still on a call.

—"...orada... yapıyorsun..."

The once-dead-silent calls were suddenly alive with noise, as though a door had opened to chaos.

Foreign words, voices chattering, something loud and chaotic.

And among it all, the steady sound of someone breathing in and out.

"Um…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the call abruptly ended.

Heeju ran her hands through her hair, pushing stray strands away, and rubbed her face roughly.

"Am I losing my mind…?"

Uneasy, her gaze flickered toward the urn sitting nearby.

***

"You're sure you didn’t get scammed?"

"Excuse me?"

Heeju had gone to the network service center and was now sitting down for a consultation. After explaining her situation, the staff member, who had been focused on their computer, suddenly started speaking rapidly.

"The 675 number is definitely an international call. But here’s the thing—it costs 1,400 won per minute to connect. Basically, it’s likely that the local telecom provider is making random calls to rake in the connection fees."

"…"

"That’s just our assumption, of course. Since there’s not a lot of international call traffic here, the rates are really high. But so far, there haven’t been any major cases of people losing significant amounts of money."

Following the staff member’s rapid explanation was exhausting for Heeju.

"Do you know anyone in Papua New Guinea?"

"Papua… where?"

She blinked blankly.

"Papua New Guinea. It’s a country in Oceania."

"No, I don’t."

"Well, that’s where this call is coming from."

Heeju was at a loss for words.

With the staff confidently stating their theory, she didn’t know what else to say.

She quietly stood up, but then hesitated, gripping the edge of the desk again.

"Is it possible for the number to be spoofed?"

"Spoofed?"

The staff member’s eyes widened briefly before letting out a small laugh.

"Yes, like, what if the call is being directed specifically to me?"

"That specifically?"

The staff member’s large eyes filled with genuine curiosity.

"Uh…"

Awkward, Heeju scratched her forehead.

"It’s just that someone I once met… used number spoofing to obsessively target one person with calls."

"Why?"

"Well… If you ask why, um…"

She rolled her eyes, searching for an answer.

"Maybe they had… business with me?"

"…"

"Like, maybe they’re trying to send me some kind of message? One of my nicknames is Sagong Yuk, which ties into the numbers 675. You see, 406 turns into 67, and then the zero turns into a five, so it ends with 675—"

"…"

"Doesn’t that seem meaningful?"

Leaning forward, Heeju fixed her gaze on the staff member.

The staff member paused, their expression growing serious.

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"Ma’am… is it possible you’ve come to the wrong place?"

The staff member waved a hand toward the back, and a burly manager approached.

"No, no, if you listen carefully to what I’m saying—"

And just like that, the staff member deflected the situation, tossing the "difficult customer" to their superior.

***

Even when she went to the police station, hoping for location tracking assistance, she was met with the same dismissive treatment. No one took her theory seriously.

Today, she felt parched and hungry all day, eating non-stop without a break. Her heart raced uncontrollably, as if struck by tachycardia, though there was nothing to be nervous about.

All she could do now was wait for nightfall again.

Ring, ring, ring!

It’s here…!

Leaping to the couch as though propelled by springs, she grabbed her phone in a flash, pressing it to her ear like a soldier assembling a rifle.

"Hello?"

—...

As silent as ever, yet her heart pounded so hard it ached.

"Is this overseas?"

—...

"Why are you calling? You must have a reason."

—...

"Is this a prank call, spam, insurance, or a loan offer?"

—...

"Aren’t you trying to sell me something?"

The longer the silence dragged on, the stranger her conviction grew.

"You’re not trying to scam me, are you?"

—...

"How do you even know I’m a rich widow?"

People would call her crazy.

She licked her dry lips over and over.

"Could it be…"

She trembled, pacing the wide living room.

"Baek Saeon, or rather…"

—...

"My husband?"

Then this…

It might just be a phone call from her late husband.

***

"What’s the occasion? You’re the one who wanted to meet up first."

Heeju chewed nervously on her nails, debating whether or not to say it.

Still, her sister was a journalist—wouldn’t she be into conspiracy theories?

Fidgeting with her teacup, Heeju finally broke the silence.

"How’s that thing going lately?"

"What thing?"

"The Baek Jangho family stuff…"

"Ah—" Hong In-ah nodded casually, not giving it much weight.

"Everything’s been turned upside down. They’re not getting out of this one so easily. The funny part is, even though there are relatives of the Baek Jangho clan sprinkled all over the higher ranks of the prosecution, they’re all pretending not to know anything."

"Why?"

"Because they’ve already got skeletons of their own. Massive ones."

"Huh?"

"No one knows whose handiwork this is."

You don’t need to know, In-ah shrugged, as if dismissing her entirely.

"The real corruption wasn’t even Baek Jangho; it’s that Professor Sim Gyujin. And Baek Saeon’s aide? He was part of Sim Gyujin’s circle too. This time, he’s going to trial and serving jail time."

"…"

"But are you okay?"

"Huh?"

In-ah flinched when she touched Heeju’s ice-cold hands.

"Did you eat something bad? Why are your hands so cold?"

"Unni…"

"Is there a pharmacy nearby?"

"Do you think Baek Saeon is really dead?"

"What?"

"Baek Saeon. Is he really dead?"

"…"

As expected, her sister’s face stiffened immediately.

"What are you talking about?"

Leaning forward, Heeju lowered her voice and her posture.

"Think about it carefully. You said it was weird too. All the journalists were gathered at the screening room, so who exactly was Baek Saeon holding a press conference with?"

"…"

"And the reports about multiple minor injuries—did you check the emergency room records? Were there really injured people? What about the journalists who were supposedly with Baek Saeon? Did you look into any of this?"

Hong In-ah grabbed Heeju’s face and pried her eyes wide open, inspecting her like a doctor.

"You seem fine…"

"I think Baek Saeon is alive."

"…!"

"He keeps calling me at night."

Heeju whispered with wide, frenzied eyes.

In response, Hong In-ah silently let her forehead drop onto the table with a thud.