Dispatches from the Graduate School of Ghost Stories - Chapter 6

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Tales from Beyond and Graduate School (6)
A Supernatural Being’s Table (1)
In the grip of clear and present danger, Yu Jong-hwa’s first thought was not of death.
Surely the professor wouldn’t be angry over this?
Death at a distance frightened him less than his supervisor standing close at hand.
Ruining things on day one, and it’s absolutely not my fault. But they’ll blame me for everything anyway!
Seized by panic, Yu Jong-hwa’s head snapped up at the host’s booming voice. Perhaps because this was the first broadcast, the host was explaining the program to the audience with great enthusiasm.
“Can you see the passion of amateur chefs gathered from across the nation! Today we will discover the fortunate soul who will oversee the new menu at a Five-Star Hotel! Along with a commemorative plaque prepared by our ‘Edge of the Cliff Chef,’ the winner will receive an exclusive chef employment contract!”
There was no choice but to cook honestly. Yu Jong-hwa’s only stroke of luck was that his competitors were amateurs.
Reviewing his life, Yu Jong-hwa realized he’d never actually created food impressive enough to stand confidently on a survival program.
The only dishes he knew how to make were Fried Egg, Ramen, and opening canned tuna.
As the reality sank in, his face twisted. And sharp gazes from those watching him began to converge.
There were rules that had to be followed when entering any program broadcast at FSBC Broadcasting Station.
Act like an ordinary contestant.
He studied the faces around him. Most contestants were overjoyed merely at being here, while others nervously fiddled with cooking utensils or prayed.
Yu Jong-hwa, lacking confidence in subtle emotional acting, simply offered an awkward smile.
Fortunately, the eyes watching him soon turned elsewhere.
Yu Jong-hwa pulled out his Smartphone from his pocket and almost dialed speed dial 1, then stopped himself.
What good would calling his mother do? It was Yu Jong-hwa’s hands that had to cook.
Besides, his mother would never forgive such filial impiety—a son dying before his parents.
Right, it’s already a disaster. Might as well try.
He decided to find someone who could be more helpful in surviving—someone familiar with Supernatural Phenomena.
Yang Jung-yeon, who had been with him just moments ago, came to mind, but he certainly hadn’t asked that bureaucrat for their number.
Next came the thought of his seniors, whom he’d never met. But he didn’t have their numbers. How could he call people he’d never even seen?
‘Is there an Emergency Contact Network for Supernatural Phenomena or something?’
He opened the internet browser, but the network connection failed, as expected.
119, 112. Without much hope, he dialed the numbers in sequence. Useless, as he suspected.
While Yu Jong-hwa’s mind raced, the program progressed steadily on.
“For today’s show, we’ve invited a special judge. A rising star! The adorable maknae of this year’s rookie girl group Imp—Ash!”
With the host’s cheap introduction, a small woman with gray-dyed hair crossed the stage. He’d never heard of this idol, but apparently she was famous within the Supernatural Phenomenon.
Since there were three judge seats, two more judges would certainly appear.
Seizing the moment when everyone was excited over the idol’s entrance, Yu Jong-hwa tapped on a number from his recent call list. At this point, he’d accept anyone who picked up.
Would the call go through this time?
The numbers on his Smartphone screen indicated it was nearly nine o’clock.
[…This is Jeon Si-hyeon. What is this call regarding….]
The moment an unenthusiastic voice came through the earpiece, Yu Jong-hwa bent his waist low under the sink counter and brought the screen close to his face.
So shocked that the call actually connected, words tumbled from his lips before his brain could catch up.
“Sir! You haven’t left work yet?!”
[Yes, researcher. Why are you calling if you already knew that?]
The man’s curt reply made it clear he wanted nothing more than to hang up immediately. Overtime was already vexing enough, and Yu Jong-hwa had just made it worse.
“Help me! I’ve ended up inside a Supernatural Phenomenon, and for some reason, only your number would connect!”
“……Agencies related to Supernatural Phenomena each have their own Emergency Contact Network.”
No further explanation followed, but the unlucky implication was that Jeon Si-hyeon was that emergency contact coordinator.
With wireless earphones in one ear, Yu Jong-hwa rolled his eyes to survey the studio.
He saw people muttering to the air, clapping, and bouncing in place.
An utterly ordinary scene within a Supernatural Phenomenon.
Right, nothing I do will stand out at this point.
As long as I don’t show obvious displeasure at appearing on this broadcast, the Supernatural Phenomenon seemed inclined to overlook things.
“Our next judge is the lead actor from the drama ‘Falling to the Depths,’ Yun Yi-myeong! Let’s give him a warm welcome!”
A male actor with unnaturally thick double eyelids crossed the stage with an artificial smile, waving.
“Sir! Please save me!”
Disguising his voice behind the pretense of clapping, Yu Jong-hwa whispered his plea.
“We’re at FSBC Broadcasting Station right now! But this program has absolutely no investigation records. It’s a cooking survival show. Do you know anything at all about this?”
[I apologize, but rescue isn’t my department. I’ll connect you with the appropriate person. Please note that due to the late hour, the connection may fail. One moment please….]
“Wait!”
The employee attempting to shuffle the inquiry to another department spoke with more energy than Yu Jong-hwa had ever heard. He immediately intuited that he’d contacted the wrong department and despaired.
He stopped clapping and turned his hands to anxious prayer instead, begging earnestly.
“Just once, please…… I’m begging you……. I’m really going to die! Don’t you know any chefs? If not that, then our seniors!”
[……There’s truly nothing I can help with. I’ve checked, and this Supernatural Phenomenon has limited entry numbers. A rescue team wouldn’t be able to enter mid-way either. You did sign the Entry Application Form, didn’t you?]
“The Entry Application Form? Could that be the paperwork I submitted when I requested entry at the Research Institute…?”
[‘Do you agree that we cannot provide rescue personnel if an unavoidable situation arises after entry?’ is checked ‘Yes.’]
“I didn’t do that!”
[Next time, read more carefully and submit it yourself. Anyway… if you want to survive, we’d better try something. Researcher. Are you good at cooking?]
If I were, I wouldn’t have called you.
As he muttered in near panic, a heavy sigh came through the earphones.
Well, that’s fair. Jeon Si-hyeon’s response came in a deflated voice, and the faint sound of rapid typing suggested he was searching for something.
Even as they conducted their hopeless conversation, the show continued.
“The two judges here will evaluate your cooking based on public taste! But we’ll need judges to assess your professional skill, won’t we? A world-renowned gourmet hotel! The executive chef and director of the great Gehenna… Baal-zebub!”
“Wait, I don’t think the introduction was quite right.”
A figure so remarkably tall that the studio lighting seemed barely to reach him strode into the center of the stage.
The one in white chef’s whites was clearly not human.
A deep voice like the vibration of a giant wasp and a high-pitched voice like the flutter of a mosquito emerged simultaneously—though it was impossible to pinpoint exactly where the sound originated.
Where the chef’s head should have been, a white mesh screen fell like a mosquito net, replacing the skull. Within the cloth glimpsed through Safety Goggles, black smoke churned ceaselessly.
It raised a gloved hand in a courteous gesture to silence the host.
“How did you pronounce my name?”
“Baal-zebub… Chef?”
Clap! A bright burst of applause echoed through the suddenly silent studio.
The chef, who had conjured white ceramic plates along his arm in succession like magic, casually pivoted the host’s head with a bare hand—at an angle a human neck should never bend.
By then he’d already acquired a Chinese chef’s knife, delighting the audience with practiced flourishes.
Through Yu Jong-hwa’s eyes, the spectacle was utterly dazzling.
Red and pink confetti cascaded down as the host’s form disintegrated, and glossy, succulent meat dishes accumulated along the chef’s arms, each perfectly garnished dish steaming hot and fresh. The audience roared with approval, and the celebrity judge’s face glowed with laughter.
Among the competing chefs, some wore expressions of delirious joy, while others stood poised to bolt from this hell itself.
The contestant beside Yu Jong-hwa had gone pale and begun to retch.
Did the ones still clinging to reason come from those ordinary citizens reported missing before?
Or were they researchers unfortunate enough to have entered the Supernatural Phenomenon just as he had?
Yu Jong-hwa noticed his Safety Goggles were functioning properly.
“Oh, I see some contestants unfamiliar with ingredient preparation?”
With an utterly benign demeanor, the enigmatic chef approached them. A stifled scream sounded behind Yu Jong-hwa.
Yu Jong-hwa watched a lone fly drift slowly past his shoulder, then hastily averted his gaze forward.
A fly in this sacred kitchen?
His eyes followed the insect to its end, and it vanished into the chef’s ‘head.’
Well. His curiosity about what the Safety Goggles had transformed into black smoke evaporated.
“What is the fundamental quality of a chef? It is knowing how to select fresh ingredients. Can a chef who fears his materials deserve respect?”
The audience chanted in response to his words.
No, Chef! No way!
Like a round song, the same answer flowed from the chefs in their whites.
No, Chef! They have no right!
Yu Jong-hwa’s lips moved in unison with them.
Those who had tried to flee lost all strength, sinking to the floor and gazing up at the chef in reverence.
Whole roasted fish! Fresh salad! Loin rolls filled to bursting! After a litany of menu items whose meaning he couldn’t parse, they were dragged away by staff.
The chef supervised the execution of his orders, then turned his attention back to the contestants who stood rigid with tension.
“My crew must be extraordinarily resilient. And clever, too. In a kitchen moving at breakneck speed, mistakes are unforgivable. Those of you who hope to become my family should know your chef’s name clearly.”
He stopped before Yu Jong-hwa. Scratch-scratch—the mesh screen rippled with his movement, emitting a sound like insects gnawing.
“Then, you in the magnificent goggles. What am I?”
Yu Jong-hwa straightened his posture, hands clasped damply behind his back.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————