when the phone rings novel

Chapter 64

Chapter 64

A sense of helplessness swept over her once again. Even though her account held an enormous sum of money, even though she had gained the freedom she had always dreamed of, it still felt the same.

『Representative Baek Yi-ryong is under investigation by prosecutors today for alleged bribery and illegal campaign funds. Last month, Professor Shim Gyu-jin from Korea University was accused of evading taxes worth billions...』

Hee-joo stared blankly at the television screen, watching her in-laws become suspects. Yet, there was no emotional ripple within her. She lowered her head. Just as she was about to drift into sleep—

Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring!

The piercing ringtone shattered the silence, immediately putting her on edge. Hee-joo frowned slightly and reached for her phone. It was probably her sister or the head of the center. She planned to pretend she hadn't seen it, reject the call, and then turn off her phone.

With half-closed eyes, she glanced lazily at the screen.

675...?

It was an unregistered number with an unfamiliar area code she had never seen before. She intended to press the end button, but the shrill ringing filled her with unease. A faint ache throbbed at the back of her head, forewarning something ominous.

Biting her lip, Hee-joo impulsively swiped to answer.

"...Hello?"

—...

"Hello?"

—...

The other end of the line was eerily silent.

"Who...?"

—...

"Who...?"

Suddenly, the call ended with a sharp beep beep. Hee-joo stared at her phone, frozen for a long moment. Was the heater not on? She rubbed her arms for no reason, feeling a chill she couldn't explain. Her heart seemed to sink heavily for an instant.

But from that day onward, the ghostly calls began to haunt her nightly.

Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring!

Tonight was no different. The phone rang again.

One day, two days, three days, four days...

Every night at the same time, the same number—675—called, only to disconnect. The bizarre pattern repeated without fail. Each time, Hee-joo was jolted awake by the ringtone, but she never blocked the number.

"Hello?"

—...

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

—...

"It's the middle of the night here."

—...

"Don't you sleep where you are?"

She mumbled in a half-asleep state.

"Can't you talk?"

—...

"Well, I'm mute."

Even she didn't know why she rambled like a drunken old man.

"Won't you hang up first tonight?"

—...

"Are you even human?"

—...

"Could you be AI? Am I talking to a machine?"

These nonsensical, surreal nights continued. She clutched the phone, hearing nothing but silence, muttering drunkenly into the void.

Then, the television suddenly switched to the last video recorded of Baek Sa-eon before the accident.

"...!"

Hee-joo didn't dare blink. A chill ran through her entire body in an instant. Her eyes stung as if they had been pierced by cement dust.

"Find me."

The eyes on the screen locked directly with hers. Her heart sank heavily once more.

What does that mean? Find what? How?

She stared at that face, both familiar and filled with longing and resentment, her mind overflowing with unanswered questions. Her breathing became erratic, rough gasps escaping her throat.

At that moment, a loud noise came from the other end of the phone line. Only then did Hee-joo realize she was still in the middle of a call.

—"...orada...yapıyorsun..."

What had once been a silent connection now surged with an influx of sounds, as if a door had suddenly been flung open. Distant foreign voices, chaotic noise, piercing... something. And the steady sound of someone breathing.

"Hello..." Before she could finish speaking, the call disconnected.

Hee-joo brushed back her loose hair and rubbed her face vigorously. "Am I just overthinking things...?" She glanced uneasily at the urn.

"You weren't scammed out of money, were you?"

"What?"

Hee-joo had gone to the service center to inquire about the strange calls. As soon as she explained her situation, the staff member, who had been glued to the computer screen, began speaking rapidly.

"675 is indeed an international number. But the call charges are 1,400 won per minute. In short, it's a scheme where local telecom operators make random calls to generate call revenue."

"..."

"That's our current assumption. Since international calls aren't common here, the rates are high. However, no cases of major financial scams have been reported yet."

Hee-joo found it hard to follow the staff member's rapid explanation.

"Do you know anyone in Papua New Guinea?"

"Papua...where?" She blinked blankly.

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

"No."

"The call originated from there."

Hee-joo 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, gripping the edge of the desk.

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

"Spoofed?" The staff member's eyes widened in surprise before breaking into a laugh.

"Yes, like... what if the call is only targeting me?"

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch?" The wide eyes reflected pure confusion.

"Uh..." Hee-joo awkwardly scratched her forehead. "No, it's just that I once knew someone... who spoofed a number to target only one person."

"Why?"

"Uh...if you ask why..." She rolled her eyes, stalling. "Maybe they had something they needed to accomplish?"

"..."

"Maybe they wanted to deliver a message? My nickname used to be 406, and this number is 675. If you combine 406 and 67, and replace the zero with a five, it ends up as 675—"

"..."

"Doesn't that seem meaningful?" Hee-joo leaned in closer.

The staff member fell silent, their expression turning serious. "Ma'am, are you sure you've come to the right place?"

Waving a hand, the staff member summoned a burly manager to take over.

"No, no, listen to me—"

And just like that, the staff member passed the issue on to their superior. The same thing happened at the police station when she tried to track the call's location. No one was willing to entertain her theories.

All day, she felt unusually thirsty and hungry, eating constantly. Even though nothing nerve-wracking had happened, her heart raced uncontrollably, refusing to calm. Once again, Hee-joo awaited the night.

Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring!

It came...!

She rushed to the couch and quickly brought the phone to her ear, moving as swiftly as a soldier assembling a rifle.

"Hello?"

—...

Silence again, but her heart pounded so hard it hurt.

"Is this a foreign number?"

—...

"Why are you calling? There must be a reason."

—...

"Whether it's a prank call, spam, insurance sales, or a loan offer—"

—...

"Aren't you planning to pitch something to me?"

The longer the silence stretched, the more a strange certainty grew in her heart.

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

—...

"Then how would you know I'm a wealthy widow...?"

People would surely think she was insane. Hee-joo repeatedly licked her dry lips.

"Could it be..."

Her legs trembled as she paced the spacious living room.

"Baek Sa-eon, uh, I mean..."

—...

"Are you my husband?"

Yes, this could be...a call from her deceased husband.

"What's going on? You actually took the initiative to ask us to meet?"

Hee-joo chewed on her nails, hesitating over whether she should say it out loud. But her sister was a journalist—surely she'd be interested in a conspiracy theory, right?

Fiddling with the teacup, Hee-joo struggled to speak.

"Lately... how's that case going?"

"What case?"

"The Baek Jang-ho family..."

Ah. Hong In A nodded indifferently.

"Everything has unraveled. It'll be tough for them to get out of this one. The funny thing is, even though the prosecutors' higher-ups are all relatives of the Baek Jang-ho family, they're pretending they don't know anything."

"Why?"

"They've got their own fatal weaknesses."

"Huh?"

"I have no idea who's behind it."

"You don't need to know." Hong In A shrugged. "Compared to Candidate Baek Yi-ryong, Professor Shim Gyu-jin's corruption is even worse. And wasn't Baek Sa-eon's assistant also tied to Shim Gyu-jin? With this trial, he's looking at prison time."

"..."

"But what's wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

Hong In A flinched when she felt Hee-joo's icy hand.

"Are you sick? Why are your hands so cold?"

"Sis..."

"Is there a pharmacy nearby?"

"Is Baek Sa-eon really dead?"

"What?"

"Is Baek Sa-eon really dead?"

"..."

As expected, her sister's face immediately stiffened.

"What are you talking about?"

Leaning forward, Hee-joo lowered her voice.

"Think about it. Don't you find it strange too? All the reporters were in the screening room. Who exactly was Baek Sa-eon holding a press conference with?"

"..."

"And then, the reports mentioned a large number of people with minor injuries. Did you confirm that at the emergency room? Were there really any injured people? The reporters who were supposedly with Baek Sa-eon—did you look into them?"

Hong In A, like a doctor, pulled open Hee-joo's eyes to check them.

"You look normal enough..."

"I feel like Baek Sa-eon is still alive."

"...!"

"He calls me every night."

Hee-joo's eyes widened as she whispered.

Hong In A wordlessly pressed her forehead against the table.