[The video has been uploaded.]
My first voice impression video, posted after hitting over ten thousand subscribers.
For editing, I only added subtitles.
“Should I hire an editor or something?”
It takes over twenty minutes just to subtitle a one-minute video.
And it’s not like the viewers fully appreciate the value of those twenty minutes.
These days, when I watch videos on Wityube with insane editing, I feel more respect than amusement.
Since I’ve moved from the consumer side to the producer side, I’m starting to notice these things.
“Do I really need to hire a human editor...? I could just catch a lesser ghost that’s good at editing.......”
I came up with the idea of catching a lesser ghost to use as an editor, but it got struck down after three strikes during review.
First strike: Lesser ghosts capable of editing are rare.
Second strike: It’s not like I can teach them editing, either.
Third strike: Lesser ghosts can only be used for one week.
If it weren’t for that final third strike, I would have carried out the plan, but the Underworld Law guaranteeing lesser ghosts’ ghost rights(?) blocked me, so it couldn’t be helped.
“Nothing I can do about it. I’m a model spirit beast who follows the Underworld Law.”
“What, what are you staring at? Won’t you lower your eyes?”
A lesser ghost clearing away cola bottles and chip bags strewn across the desk stared at me as if I were absurd, but quickly lowered its eyes and resumed cleaning.
From their perspective, I probably feel like a kidnapper.
Well, if you barge into someone else’s house, you have to take responsibility.
Dawn is slowly breaking.
Feeling the yin energy brought by darkness gradually disappear, pushed back by the sun’s yang energy, I picked up my smartphone.
Countless Wityube notifications visible even before unlocking.
I feel as good as if I’d devoured a fresh, healthy human.
After hardship comes happiness, wasn’t that the saying? It seems even I, as a human, have finally reached the point where the suffering ends and good times arrive.
And I’m going to express my gratitude to the brother who helped me rise to this point.
To be exact, I’m treating him. Since I’ve only been fed by him all this time......
They say since ancient times, those who don’t know gratitude are beasts with black hair............ that’s me, but still. Anyway, it means I’m going to repay the favor.
.
.
.
“You brought me to a frozen samgyeopsal joint to repay a favor?”
Brother Baekho picked up some scallion salad with a listless expression and put it in his mouth.
“What’s wrong with this place? It’s where you often treated me, Brother.”
“Fine, but don’t order more than thirty thousand won.”
“Are you worried it’ll be a burden on me if it’s over thirty thousand won? It’s fine. I have a lot of money now.”
Brother Baekho always looks out for others like this. Not that it’s necessary right now, though.
“It’s not because I’m worried about burdening you! I’m a public official, so if I’m treated to more than thirty thousand won, I’ll get arrested!”
“Huh....?”
He’ll get arrested for being treated to more than thirty thousand won because he’s a public official? It’s not like he received a golden toad or a golden Buddha statue; it’s only thirty thousand won.
“You might not know, but that’s just how it is. Besides, I’m a politician who uses integrity as my image. Even if I accept a meal from a close junior, who knows what articles those damned reporters will write.”
“That must be tiring for you, Brother. Have a drink here.”
“It’s 7:30 in the morning. I have to go to work soon; how would drinking work?”
Brother Baekho declined, pushing away the cup I held out with his palm.
“Then pour some into my cup instead.”
“I can do that.”
Brother Baekho poured alcohol into the cup in a steady stream like flowing water.
“What kind of work do you do that you’re drinking from the morning?”
Brother Baekho asked, looking at me with suspicious eyes.
“I suppose you could call me a ronin of the modern world. I drift like the wind, display my abilities where I can, and earn money with that.......”
“Specifically.”
“I’m an unemployed person with skills. Recently, I made a huge score with the voice acting work you introduced me to.”
“I knew it. I’m glad I introduced you.”
Brother Baekho smiled in satisfaction.
I told Brother Baekho everything I had experienced so far without holding back.
Something like this had happened before too, but back then it was a complaint; now the difference was that I was speaking proudly.
“It’s not bad being treated by my junior after a long time.”
Brother Baekho said after leaving the restaurant, picking between his sharp teeth with a toothpick.
Then he went down to the nearby subway station entrance.
I also had to take the same subway, so I ended up going down with Brother.
[The next station is..........
“Brother, farewell.”
“Take care.”
When the station announcement came on, I bid farewell to Brother.
..........Terminal station. This is Wolam Station. Dear departed, please rise from your seats and find your way.]
.....Huh? What?
The passengers sitting in their seats all rose at once and slid out of the subway.
“What is going on?”
“I don’t really.......”
We seemed to have boarded a subway escorting the dead.
But the subway for the dead usually comes in the early dawn hours... No matter how you look at it, it’s broad daylight morning now, isn’t it?
“Sanbeom. What did they say the station name was?”
“Wolam...... Ah, it was Monday today.”
“Damn it, how could we forget that!”
There is a subway that operates specially only on Monday mornings.
Humans call the rush hour subway a ‘hell train,’ but we had actually boarded a real hell train.
Probably because of our strong yin energy, the classification system had mistaken us for the dead and forcibly brought us here.
“.......Where is this?”
The owner of the voice just now was neither me nor Brother Baekho.
It was a woman sitting between me and Brother Baekho.
Since the classification system designated an area rather than individuals, she seems to have been caught up here, obscured by mine and Brother Baekho’s yin energy.
“Brother, what do we do?”
“What do you mean, what do we do! I only have forty minutes until work, so we have to escape. I can just transform into my beast form and climb up.”
“Excuse me...... human.”
“Huh......?”
Brother Baekho was ripping open his shirt to transform into his White Tiger form when he hesitated.
“Shall I take care of her? Since she’s come this far anyway, I don’t think it’d matter if we made her into a real dead person......”
Crack!
Brother Baekho’s fist struck my head like a lightning bolt.
“Do you think I’m the head of some sword faction? I’m a mayor who has to work for the citizens at all times.”
“You could’ve just told me......!”
As we seemed to be making a commotion, the woman turned her eyes toward us.
“Aren’t you...... Mayor Gang Baekho?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
At that moment, the woman’s eyes lit up and she raised the camera and notepad she was holding.
“Please say a few words about the ecological park project you’re recently pushing forward.”
Smash! Crash!
As the woman tried to turn on the camera, Brother Baekho smashed it with his fist.
“What the....! I’m a reporter! Are you okay with this being reported in the media?!”
The woman shouted, looking up at Brother Baekho.
“Hey, reporter. Listen well if you want to get out of here alive. There are rules humans must keep here. As long as you stick with me, your life is safe, but if you don’t follow the rules, you’d better be prepared to lose an arm or a leg.”
Brother Baekho’s eyes had changed into vertical pupils.
Ooh, scary. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Brother Baekho’s vertical pupils. I can barely even remember.
“What do you mean?”
Even after Brother Baekho said that, the woman still didn’t seem to grasp the situation.
“It means you’ve stepped into a place where humans shouldn’t set foot.”
“How could you......!”
Squish!
Something that had been crawling was crushed under Brother Baekho’s shoe, and its bursting insides stuck viscously to it.
The woman froze in place, unable to speak.
“Do you understand now?”
Without answering, the woman simply nodded.
“Sanbeom. You watch over her.”
I approached the woman.
She was a woman about half a head taller than me, wearing glasses.
To the point where I could call her unnie without it feeling strange, yet I had to protect her.
“Is this the afterworld or something?”
“From a human perspective, yes.”
It felt a little different from the typical afterworld, but it was still ultimately a place you go after dying, no matter how you looked at it.
“What a scoop.....!”
The woman turned on her smartphone to film this place.
Crash!
“Underworld Law, Article 3916, Section 181. Filming within the station is prohibited. Violators will have their soul’s freedom revoked.”
Because humans occasionally drift into Underworld stations, the punishment was set quite severely to prevent them from taking out evidence that could definitively prove this place’s existence.
“If you want to get out of here alive, follow my words unconditionally. I don’t know about me, but my brother seems to want to save you.”
“Brother? No, kid, you’re a girl.”
The moment I heard that, it felt like three throbbing veins popped on my forehead.
Brother told me to protect her, so I can’t even hit her!
“Ugh, so it’s that my brother wants to save you, okay?”
“Honorifics.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
I should’ve just gulped her down in one bite for dessert without asking Brother for permission.