TSSDNE Story 5 – The Disappearance of Dongwoo – End

Story #6

The Disappearance of Dongwoo by The Guard

[On your way?]

Ding.

With the sound, his phone lit up. Dongwoo flinched hard and checked the screen.

[I’m already on my way. Don’t scare me like that. If you’re that curious, come yourself.]

Typing the message, Dongwoo lifted his head. It was well past midnight, and there wasn’t a single person walking around. Even when he looked far ahead, all he saw were streets swallowed completely by darkness.

[I wanted to go too~ but suddenly I had to visit a relative’s house… How is it?]

[It’s just really dark. Is it even possible for a place to be this empty?]

He frowned as his fingers tapped quickly across the screen. The road he was walking on was a fairly wide two-lane street. But looking across at the other sidewalk, there wasn’t a person in sight, and the same was true on his side.

[Not just people… there aren’t even any cats.]

[It’s actually weird if even cats aren’t there. But are you really okay going alone?]

[Then you should’ve said that earlier.]

Sanghyeon always asked again at times like this, always too late. Dongwoo continued chatting as he walked toward the destination.

[It’s fine. If you’re that curious, just keep texting. I think I’m almost there, but I don’t see it.]

Sanghyeon tried to stop him again midway, but according to the map, he didn’t have far left. Before he knew it, Dongwoo had walked into a narrow alley and came to a stop.

Dongwoo lifted his gaze. What he saw was a wall. He had reached a dead end.

He looked around, but saw nothing unusual, so he updated his friend.

[Really? Hold on, I’ll check!]

Dongwoo let out a sigh. A few days earlier, Sanghyeon had shown him a YouTube video. A fan of restaurants, he often recommended places to Dongwoo.

“Good restaurants are hidden in back alleys.”

The YouTuber in the video introduced a restaurant with an old but elegant interior. Following the waiter’s polite instructions, he had taken a seat.

Even though the host exaggerated his reactions, the waiter served his meal unfazed.

The meat glistened, and the vegetables and seafood looked delicious just from sight alone.

[There’s a place like this here?]

Dongwoo had been particularly shocked. The location was in a downtown area not far from his home, a place locals frequented often.

“There’s a place like this here? I must’ve seen it at least once. I don’t remember it.”

He used to come here often with his parents as a kid, but after a new urban district was built ten years ago, this area had become much quieter.

What shocked him even more was that the course meal cost under ten thousand won. An unbelievable price, and Dongwoo had snorted at Sanghyeon for it.

[Stop lying. No place like that exists. Even hamburgers cost more than ten thousand won now. That guy must’ve been lying.]

[No, really, there are tons of reviews. Rumor says the owner also owns the building. The only catch is that it’s open at night. Isn’t it worth checking out? I’ll pay! Sounds good, right?]

With half curiosity and half adventurous spirit, he had come all this way. After wandering around for a bit, he sent another message.

[Lee Sanghyeon. Are you sure that restaurant actually exists? Nothing’s open around here, and the location you gave me is just a wall.]

“What the.”

Dongwoo muttered in disbelief as he looked at the screen. The read receipt had disappeared. But no matter how long he waited, Sanghyeon didn’t reply.

[Why aren’t you answering? Did you not find it?]

Once again, the read receipt vanished, yet still, no reply. Dongwoo grew irritated and was about to head back when his phone rang. It was a call from Sanghyeon.

He didn’t know why the guy had to call, but he answered.

“Hey! Is this the right place or not? Why aren’t you answering? If it’s not here, I’m going back, so hurry up and say something.”

For a long moment, no reply came. Frustrated, Dongwoo checked the screen again, it was definitely connected.

— ……Hello?

“Finally! Ugh, where are you?”

— Huh…? What did you say?

Startled, Dongwoo pulled the phone away from his ear. An overwhelming amount of static bled into Sanghyeon’s voice.

The noise stabbed at his ears, making his head throb. Had Sanghyeon gone somewhere crowded? He said it was a family gathering. Even with twenty people, the interference shouldn’t be this bad.

“Can you step outside for a second? I can’t hear you!”

— Ah… Dongwoo, can you hear me now?

Sanghyeon let out a sigh and fell silent.

A moment passed, and maybe he had moved, because his voice suddenly came through clearly.

“Yeah. I hear you now. Why was it so loud over there?”

— I’m not sure. Maybe because there are… other things around here…?

Sanghyeon’s voice trailed off. The call remained eerily monotone, almost without any emotion.

Dongwoo’s expression stiffened at the odd response.

A strange sense of déjà vu crept slowly over his whole body.

He looked around. Still, nothing, no people, no movement, nothing.

He spoke again.

“Anyway, I can hear you now, so it’s fine. So the restaurant does exist, right?”

— Yeah. It does.

There was no hesitation in Sanghyeon’s voice. He almost never spoke like that, so Dongwoo felt a twinge of hope.

“Where is it? I went to the location you sent me, and there’s nothing there.”

— Behind you.

“…What? It’s a wall.”

He asked again. He had turned around several times, even knocked on the wall. Still, nothing had appeared.

— Dongwoo. Behind you.

“What? Hey!”

Click.

The call ended. Dongwoo tried calling back and sent more messages, but nothing came through.

“This jerk, seriously.”

He sighed. He was already planning to put Sanghyeon in a headlock later as he turned around.

“Huh… uhh?”

Words refused to come out. He was standing exactly where he had been moments ago.

Just before, it had definitely been a wall.

But now, in its place, stood a building with an old wooden sign bearing the restaurant’s name. Paint had peeled away over the years, and marks covered the exterior walls.

“It was definitely a wall… Am I seeing things?”

Dongwoo rubbed his eyes and looked again. The building didn’t disappear. Instead, a man stepped out the door.

“Welcome.”

“Ah.”

“It looks like you came to visit. Would you like to come inside?”

The middle-aged man with a deep voice guided him in. Hesitant, Dongwoo began walking toward the building.

[Hey? It’s really here just like you said! Someone’s even showing me inside.]

He sent the message as he stepped in, but again, no reply came. He considered sending more, but remembering the family gathering, he closed the screen.

“I’ll just call him after I eat.”

{How did you find this place?}

“Sorry? Ah! A friend recommended it. I had no idea there was a restaurant here.”

{Hmm. It’s not easy for an ordinary person to find this place. You’re quite special.}

“Huh?”

Dongwoo blinked, not understanding the middle-aged man’s words. But without answering, the man simply lifted a hand and gestured.

{Please have a seat over here.}

As soon as Dongwoo sat, the man handed him a menu and began explaining. There were more dishes than he expected, but one section in particular caught his eye, the special menu.

“What’s today’s special?”

{It’s a menu exclusive to our restaurant, Mirage. It’s a premium course prepared for the guests who come here. Many visit solely for this dish.}

Dongwoo nodded and checked the price, gasping quietly. Seafood, meat, vegetables, an elaborate course, yet the price was exactly what he’d seen online.

The person in that video must have eaten this too. Returning the menu, Dongwoo spoke.

“I think there’s a mistake with the price. There are so many dishes in this course… ten thousand won is way too cheap.”

The man glanced at Dongwoo, then back at the menu. His lips parted as if to speak, but he stopped. Again, the strange sense of unease crawled up Dongwoo’s spine.

{…The price is correct. Instead of money, we want something else.}

“I don’t get what you mean.”

{We host special guests like you. I’ll prepare your meal shortly.}

Leaving behind that cryptic explanation, the man walked away. Dongwoo looked around, but seeing no one else, he muttered to himself:

“This place really is secretive.”

He slowly looked around the interior. The decorations matched the exterior’s old style, and the seating was made of marble.

He took a picture with his phone and sent it to Sanghyeon. Still unread. While writing a message suggesting they come together next time, the man returned to his table.

{Your meal has arrived.}

“Thank you.”

A salad, bread, and soup were served as appetizers.

Dongwoo lifted his fork and aimed at the salad. A piece of crisp lettuce coated in dressing slid onto it.

A refreshing orange scent wafted up, making his mouth water. He brought it to his lips, and the crisp sound echoed pleasantly in his ears.

“Wow!”

The salad’s perfect balance of dressing and vegetables was unlike anything he had tasted before.

He picked up the crispy-looking bread and tore it open; the soft, white inside revealed itself. Delighted by the smell of freshly baked flour, Dongwoo dipped it into the soup. The soft bread soaked in savory soup filled his mouth with rich flavor.

{Steak with mushrooms, and seafood oil pasta.}

The waiter brought the next dish. Dongwoo’s eyes sparkled with interest as he cut into the meat. His rough cutting nearly shredded it apart.

Even so, he paid no mind and firmly stabbed a piece with his fork to eat.

A sour yet sweet sauce mixed with a faintly fishy aroma spread across his tongue. Then he lifted the pasta with his fork and slurped it in.

As he chewed the springy noodles, his mouth grew slick with spicy oil. He hadn’t even swallowed yet before he stuffed another piece of steak into his mouth.

His eyes, filled with food, began losing focus. Without a single thought, he simply kept shoving food in, eating and eating.

{Here is the next dish.}

The middle-aged man continued bringing the plates just as they emptied. At some point, Dongwoo stopped caring about the taste and devoured everything in front of him.

Chomp, chomp, chomp.

He chewed greedily, swallowed, and repeated. Before he knew it, he had moved on to dessert.

“Huh?”

Snapping back to his senses, Dongwoo glanced beneath the table and let out a gasp. It felt like he had dreamed eating the meal. Had he ever eaten this much before?

Covering his mouth in confusion, Dongwoo heard the man speak.

{Was the meal to your liking?}

“Ah, yes! It was really delicious. I’d like to pay, please.”

Dongwoo tried to stand while speaking, but the man stopped his movement and opened his mouth.

{You have already paid, sir.}

“What?”

When Dongwoo asked again, the man reached out. He rubbed the oily sheen on Dongwoo’s lips and muttered,

{This human is quite good.}

Meeting the deep, unreadable eyes, Dongwoo felt something wrong and staggered back as he pushed himself up.

“Then I’ll just get going now!”

He quickly ran toward the door. But darkness spread before him. The man stepped out in front of him, making Dongwoo freeze in fear.

{Ah. I forgot to explain. Customers who eat the special menu cannot leave this place.}

“What are you talking…!”

The moment Dongwoo tried to rush him, darkness bound his legs, sending him crashing to the floor. Flat on his stomach, he looked up as the man lowered his face toward him.

{I’m sorry, but it was written on the menu. You must stay with me forever. That is the price for the special menu.}

He grabbed Dongwoo’s chin. With such strength, Dongwoo couldn’t pull away, and their eyes met.

Smack.

Their lips collided as the man sucked Dongwoo’s tongue greedily. The strong sensation made Dongwoo gasp and tremble.

After pushing something into Dongwoo’s mouth, the man pulled back. Locking eyes with Dongwoo’s dazed expression, he caressed his cheek.

{It’s time for you to rest now. We’ll see each other again later.}

“Ah… no…!”

Falling into sleep, Dongwoo let out a final cry before his eyes closed. The darkness surrounding him slowly sank downward.

The man closed the windows inside the restaurant. Even as he tidied the place, a radiant smile clung to his face.

Last of all, he turned off the lights and shut the door behind him.

[What the! Dongwoo?]

[Why did you send that message?]

[Dongwoo! Is something wrong?]

Buzz-zz.

The phone on the floor vibrated.

With its owner gone, the phone could not respond.

It only continued ringing and vibrating in front of the wall that now filled the space where the building had been.

---

A dripping sound echoed.

He snapped his head toward the back, but nothing was there.

Right, of course no water was dripping. This abandoned place had been cut off from electricity and water long ago. He had checked all of that the moment he entered.

The man turned again and stared at the door. His eyes drifted to the scribbles left behind. They must have been made by other people who had wandered in here before. He had already seen them countless times, yet whenever he zoned out, his eyes always returned to the one faint, reddish mark standing out among the rest.

Static buzzed.

“Dongwoo.”

The crackling noise sounded like a voice. Calling a name.

“Come out.”

A whispering voice came from behind him. On the opposite side of the door. From deeper inside, the whisper continued.

“Dongwoo.”

It wasn’t my name. It was a name I didn’t know.

“That… that isn’t me…”

It felt unfair. Whatever that thing was looking for, it wasn’t me.

“I was wrong.”

“Dongwoo.”

“I came in by mistake.”

“Come out.”

“Please let me out.”

The voice whispered endlessly. Right beside me. So close. In my ear. It kept whispering. My breathing grew rough.

“Please save me!”

No matter how desperately I cried, the surroundings remained silent. Silent. Everything had stopped. The man clutched his clothes and collapsed helplessly.

In the extremely quiet room, only his sobbing remained. And then, over it, the voice returned.

“Dongwoo.”

The man instinctively whipped around. It was clearly an old, shabby room, yet behind it the darkness seemed to continue endlessly. A place where only a broken table had been.

“Come out here.”

The voice giggled.

The man crawled backward along the floor, scrambling away from it. He covered his ears as if he could block it all out and curled up by the door. But the gnawing sound in his ears never stopped.

“Please…”

He raised his hand. He twisted the doorknob and pulled, again and again, but it did not budge.

“Please, please. Please…”

His clenched fist pounded on the door. It hadn’t worked before, but maybe now, he didn’t know. He had to get out. That sound, he could hear it.

Someone’s footsteps approaching. He squeezed his eyes shut and swung blindly.

No matter what he did, he couldn’t get out.

“Please!”

A foul stench drifted in from behind him.

He recognized the smell, like something rotting away. The man stopped pounding on the door.

“Please.”

The voice wasn’t his own.

A burst of laughter fell beside him, close enough to feel the breath of it. His hair stood on end as his body tensed. Keeping his hand pressed to the door, he lowered his head. His forehead touched the rusty metal.

If he opened his eyes, something would be there. He should never have come to a place like this. It had only been curiosity.

With his eyes still closed, tears pooled beneath his lids.

Without realizing, he blinked, and saw only a hazy blur. Below him was the same floor he had been staring at moments before. Nothing was there.

“…Hhk…”

A sound slipped from his lips. He didn’t even know if this feeling was relief.

“Heuu, nnk…”

Soft sobbing echoed through the room. He crouched with his back against the door. His eyes darted across the space. Tables lined in rows, four chairs set at each. He could faintly see menus and tableware set out. It looked exactly the same as when he first came in.

Nothing had changed. He sniffed.

The old room was quiet, yet unbearably loud.

When he stayed still, the sounds returned.

Sounds.

The sound of something falling.

A man laughing. A woman sobbing.

A woman laughing. A man sobbing.

A door opening.

A door closing.

Sounds. Sounds. Sounds.

The room was full of sound. But whenever he turned his head toward the source, nothing was actually happening. Instead, he came face-to-face with pitch-black darkness.

Something crouched there, in a shape his eyes couldn’t fully grasp. The moment he sensed it, something whispered.

“Did you… see?”

It was in front of him. The voice came from ahead.

“Hiiik.”

He heard teeth chattering. It was the sound he himself made.

Splash. Splash. Wet footsteps echoed. He reflexively turned toward the sound, yet he already knew where it was heading.

The sound always began from inside.

Deep within the old room. The shadowed corner.

Without fail, the sound started there again.

He blinked. In the small room made of darkness, there was no one.

“Kkh….”

Something brushed against his arm.

He pulled his arm toward his body, but nothing was there. Nothing had touched him. The man grabbed his arm and crouched down.

There was the sensation of a single fingertip pressing onto his arm. He flinched without meaning to.

“Heuu….”

He sobbed in fear.

There was nothing on his arm. Nothing in front of him either.

Until now, he had only heard sounds. Maybe that had given him a false sense of relief.

He had thought nothing worse could happen.

But then a foreign sensation made him gasp for breath.

“What… what is that.”

The finger on his arm slowly multiplied. Pinky, ring finger, middle finger, index finger, and thumb. Like someone pressing piano keys, the hand moved down his arm, then lifted and scraped across it before withdrawing.

No marks were left on his skin, yet the feeling of being scratched lingered vividly.

The sensation crawling across his arm was unbearably horrifying.

A fingernail scraped along his flesh, and the feeling of pressure and dragging refused to leave. It felt like something was scraping the meat off his bones.

“This is really…”

The man swung his arm through the air. The moment he thought he’d stopped, light touched his fingertips. Light. Morning had come before he realized it.

Had he spent an entire day like this?

“Haa…”

He let his arm drop to the floor. He stared blankly in relief until his awareness slowly returned. Yes, now he might finally be able to leave.

He quickly got up and grabbed the doorknob. A sudden chill prickled his skin, but he tried turning it anyway.

“…No way.”

The door wouldn’t open. A hollow voice escaped him.

“Hihik.”

Laughter sounded behind him. Sounds. Again. The sounds returned.

More and more sounds. Laughter, crying, calling.

Dongwoo. Dongwoo. Dongwoo.

No matter how many times he begged that he wasn’t Dongwoo, it made no difference.

No one had touched him, yet day by day his arm grew redder.

When he placed his hand on the burning skin, he could feel a trace of heat.

Lowering his eyes, he saw his arm. Bumpy marks covered it. It looked swollen. It looked like mosquito bites.

His vision suddenly spun. He braced himself on the floor. Something brushed against his hand. There was a scrap of paper wedged into a frame.

He followed the word with his fingertips and read it.

“Special… menu…?”

Laughter echoed. A chair toppled over. A black silhouette sat on it. He blinked. Nothing was there.

What. What is happening.

He had no way to understand what was going on.

Tears welled up instinctively. He didn’t know. He was terrified.

Still sitting, he scrambled backward. His feet only slipped. Someone grabbed his arm. He lost his balance and fell backward.

A hand, someone’s hand, grabbed his arm. Then it was placed on his stomach.

The number of hands increased. More and more hands layered over his body.

His eyes widened. Even though he couldn’t see them, he desperately tried to.

“Hhmmph.”

Something was right in front of his shaking breath.

The hand gripping his arm went limp and slid down. A hand brushed down his ankle. Another gripped his thigh. All of them moved differently. Too many to count. The hands multiplied.

The man gasped for breath.

Click. Click. Click. Fingernails grazing skin.

Warm breath brushed his ear.

“Heuu… hhk…”

The hand stroking down his thigh stopped. This time, it was his waist.

A strange feeling churned inside him. The hand gliding over his waist slid lower and traced his stomach.

Thunk. Something empty fell to the floor.

Each time he heard the noise, his body jerked reflexively.

A sharp sound rang out. He turned his head before realizing it. A lone fork lay on the ground.

The sounds were becoming real. If that was true…

“Dongwoo.”

Someone whispered. It wasn’t just one voice. Many different voices overlapped, calling only that one name.

Hands. Black silhouettes layered over his body.

“Hahk, h-heuk, hhu…”

He couldn’t form a single word. Buried beneath masses of shadowy shapes distinguishable even in darkness, he could only cry with his hands lifted helplessly.

Panting harshly, he turned his head. A black hand crawled between his legs.

“Dongwoo.”

“I’m not…”

“Dongwoo.”

“Hiik… n-no… I said… I’m not… hnn…”

His backside was forced open. More hands multiplied. They flipped back his eyelids, entered his pleading mouth. Hands gripping his hips stroked between them, and one plunged into his anus.

“Guhhk… kuh, hhh…!”

Only then did he realize his clothes had been removed.

Handprints appeared one after another across his stomach. His tongue was pulled out, and something thick was placed on top of it.

As he gasped for breath, fingers pushed inside him and multiplied. More forced their way in.

“Ah… aahh… ah!”

“Ah, aaahh, ah!”

Even in the moment he was flung into the air, his body was seized. He could only gasp and tremble in shallow shivers of his waist.

“Ah, uuhm!”

He couldn’t speak, couldn’t move.

All he could do was tense the opening being forced apart while completely trapped. There was no place untouched by the hands. They finally covered his eyes, leaving only darkness. His mouth was blocked as he panted for breath, but even that didn’t come properly.

Even his cock was grabbed.

“Uuhm! Mm! Hhnnhm!”

He couldn’t escape the hands covering and consuming his body. He only shook to the rhythm of their movements, legs spread as every single hole was filled.

His ears alone remained intact, yet even they felt as though they would be swallowed by the overflowing noise.

At this rate.

At this rate he was going to be squeezed dry…

“Ooh.”

A slow voice slipped in.

“My.”

The voice dragged lazily. A mask that covered the entire face tilted diagonally.

“You’ve already gone past ten thousand one hundred and sixty-one characters?”

His tone was playful. His exaggerated gestures were like those of a comic actor.

“This story isn’t accessible to you, you know.”

A gloved staff member rubbed his thumb along his chin and quietly looked at you.

“Sir.”

A smile appeared beneath the mask.

“The story we prepared ends here.”

He looked at you with a neat, composed smile.

Behind you, the page had turned white. There was nothing left now.

“Oh?”

He blinked.

“You’re quite stubborn. Or have you lost your way?”

But he smiled again, gently.

“Either is fine.”

Once the guidance is followed, the story will end.

Now everything is over.

And even that disappears from this place.

There is nothing here for you, even if you remain.

The Disappearance of Dongwoo – The End

Please leave a rating!

Behind you, the page had turned white. There was nothing left now.

“Oh?”

He blinked.

“You’re quite stubborn. Or have you lost your way?”

The sixth story does not exist.

TL/N: This was in the raws so idk. Anyway hope you enjoyed the stories!!! byeee