Chapter 58

Beside the underground parking garage was a tiny space that seemed to embody a landlord’s greed to squeeze in just one more commercial unit and collect the rent.

The little shop occupying that little space... was precisely where I had planned to visit today.

A special tattoo shop.

* * *

Records of Dark Exploration / Ghost Stories

[Moonlight Tattoo Shop]

: A ghost story appearing in <Records of Dark Exploration>. No Daydream Inc. identification code.

Daydream Inc.’s only official exploration record of this location is a single incidental report obtained through “Vacant Premises (Qterw-C-818).”

For further information, consult Document-#818-15623 (Civilian Interview Transcript), though its reliability cannot be guaranteed.

* * *

Did that disclaimer about its reliability mean it was dangerous?

No.

“Vacant Premises,” the ghost story underlying this one, was a satire of the human tendency to reject goodwill at face value and insist on finding some sinister motive behind it.

In context, this could only be a “good” place consistent with the civilian interview.

-Are you going in?

Yes.

I politely pressed the button beside the frosted glass door to open it.

The door slid open, revealing the tattoo shop’s interior.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary, modest shop. The furnishings were a little shabby but kept clean, and a notice on the counter said that only one client was treated at a time.

But light shone down onto the tattoo chair in the center.

Moonlight.

Oddly, a transparent LED panel had been installed directly above the center, and nowhere else, so that the moon was visible. Artificial moonlight poured down from it.

'Exactly as described.'

“Is anyone here?”

At the sound of my voice, the owner rose from behind the counter and came over.

She was a woman in a sleeveless top, her neck densely covered in Korean lettering tattoos. With her curly hair tied back tightly, she immediately brought words like craftsperson and artist to mind.

“I’d like a tattoo consultation. Would that be possible?”

She nodded.

“May I ask what your prices are?”

With a rather guileless expression, the tattoo artist pointed to the wall behind the counter.

[Payment in goods only.]

That was right.

They didn’t accept ordinary cash here. Instead, the owner took various objects that appealed to her as payment...

And certain items received preferential treatment.

[Preferred items: Objects related to the sea]

As a result, civilians who happened to satisfy this preference sometimes had truly extraordinary experiences.

* * *

Document-#818-15623

Citizen: Actually, I’d taken a wrong turn. I’d meant to visit a tattoo shop in the shopping district near ■■ Station, but I must have gone the wrong way, because I ended up in a neighborhood full of vacant units.

That was when I found that tattoo shop in the basement.

I thought it was really unusual that they accepted objects related to the sea. So I tried showing her an hourglass keychain I had with me, and she actually accepted it!

Then she showed me to the tattoo chair in the center.

* * *

And so I had come prepared to meet that “preference”... properly.

“Would something like this be acceptable?”

I took the item I had prepared out of my briefcase.

When I opened the rectangular velvet case...

Lustrous little spheres glittered, casting reflected light.

“Pearl beads.”

“...!”

They were insanely expensive saltwater pearls.

White-green Akoya pearls, perfectly spherical and ten millimeters across, with a pink aurora sheen that made these top-quality specimens look almost holographic.

'There were plenty of more expensive things related to the sea, of course... '

But according to the accounts of civilians who had visited, this owner oddly seemed to prefer objects particularly susceptible to the passage of time.

And pearls were made of protein, so time inevitably affected them.

'They were also something I could buy with a day of searching and a quick trip to a Jongno wholesaler during my hour-long lunch break.'

Just to be safe, I had even excluded the less time-sensitive South Sea pearls and selected Akoya pearls instead...

“What do you think?”

“...”

She nodded and nodded and nodded.

An emphatic response.

After gazing entranced at the pearl beads’ luster, the tattoo artist carefully accepted the case I held out.

Joy flashed through her guileless eyes.

'What on earth does she use them for?'

I had no way of knowing.

In any event, she put the case away behind the counter at incredible speed, then very courteously led me to the center.

To the chair bathed in moonlight.

“Thank you.”

Soon, she brought me a large glass of lemon drink and a sizable booklet.

So far, everything matched the description.

She brought me a lemon drink and a booklet. It was sort of a collection of tattoo designs, and the cover said “Basic No. 3.”

I picked a dolphin silhouette about the size of a fingernail and got that tattooed. She told me to close my eyes during the procedure, but strangely, it didn’t hurt.

I turned my eyes to the booklet’s cover.

If the person who gave her an hourglass keychain received “Basic No. 3,” what would I get for pearls worth tens of millions of won?

Of course, that might be an overly capitalist way of thinking.

'This is a little tattoo shop inside a ghost story, after all. Such materialistic methods might not work on its mysterious owner... '

[Royal Special Premium No. 1 (Customization Available)]

“...”

They worked... very well.

'Thank you.'

Money really was king everywhere.

Anyway, did that mean these designs were the tier I could receive for the goods I had paid?

'Hmm.'

Better look carefully.

I opened the booklet.

Constellations traced by splashing water droplets, a clever overlap of polar bear claws and Inuit patterns, even an evening seashore rendered in wistful pastels.

It was full of stunning designs.

If I had come here out of a genuine passion for tattoos, I would have been admiring them and eagerly trying to choose...

But that wasn’t really what mattered to me.

'This tattoo will disappear the next day anyway.'

To be precise...

I wondered if I’d dreamed it. I’d definitely gotten a tattoo, but it had vanished without a trace.

But do you know what was even stranger?

Tattoos received here were “absorbed” into their recipients.

I’d suddenly become good at swimming in the sea.

Like the dolphin I’d gotten tattooed.

In other words, the tattoos granted people special abilities based on their designs!

'I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity.'

There had to be dozens, even hundreds of ghost stories in <Records of Dark Exploration> that granted people talents or abilities.

But there were almost none where you could actively seek them out and receive them so gently, without losing anything.

In a world brimming with insane ghost stories where you had to sell your body, your soul, or at least your conscience to gain anything, Moonlight Tattoo Shop truly was a ray of light in the Darkness.

'I’m definitely leaving with something good.'

I flipped through the booklet, furiously trying to deduce each design’s abilities.

-Mr. Roe Deer, I’d like a closer look myself!

Oh. Right. Braun might be able to glean something more.

I carefully took the doll out of my pocket and set him in front of the booklet.

-Oh, the artist has quite a good aesthetic sense. In my opinion... Hmm?

The tattoo artist was studying Braun intently, her eyes shining.

Then she picked him up.

“...! W-wait...”

[Complimentary Service]

“...”

-One moment. Please handle me carefully. My body is stuffed with cotton, so I can’t move very well... Hmm, ahem, hmm...

The tattoo artist put Braun into a basin she had brought over, expertly applied aromatic oil to her hands, and kneaded the doll back into shape.

... An acupressure massage?

-Phewww... All the fatigue from filming is simply melting away...

The doll sounded like a celebrity exhausted by a packed schedule...

It certainly was a shocking sight I would never see in any other ghost story.

Was this... heartwarming?

'... Let’s just choose a design.'

After thanking the tattoo artist as she tenderly handed back a newly lustrous Braun, I resumed furiously turning the pages.

But none of the designs suggested any particular ability. The unusually large number of sea-related designs was curious, and that was about it.

Well, in that case.

“Would you have any recommendations?”

What if I simply asked outright?

“Is there a symbol in here associated with courage, or the boldness to act without fear?”

Yes. Ultimately, this seemed to be what I needed most.

'No more being a scaredy-cat...!'

Tempting as the various abilities available here were, my most fundamental and powerful special ability was still <Records of Dark Exploration>.

Information, in other words.

And to use that information properly, my first priority was a mental state that allowed me to make rational judgments.

'I can’t keep living with a heart that feels ready to faint at the slightest thing...!'

How many times had this cowardly heart nearly gotten me killed already?

'I only get one chance to enter Moonlight Tattoo Shop through this ghost story.'

Then I ought to spend it on my most urgent need!

Still, asking so directly was something absent from the records, so I was a little nervous. Fortunately, the tattoo artist readily turned the pages and pointed to a design.

That design was...

“... A tomato?”

Yes.

It was a tree bearing tomatoes.

Strong, sweeping lines with the feel of a somewhat rough pen nib dynamically depicted branches, leaves, and fruit.

Lonely, rugged, and lyrical.

Only the red fruit had any color. The tomatoes, that is.

'What on earth does this have to do with courage?'

Honestly, I had no idea, but since this tattoo artist communicated only through prewritten booklets, I couldn’t get a detailed explanation.

Still, it was the practitioner’s recommendation. Surely it would do the job.

“Yes. I’ll take this one.”

The tattoo artist nodded cheerfully and took back the booklet.

“Oh, as for placement, here...”

I rolled up my left sleeve.

If I was getting one anyway, I had meant to have it placed near my existing tattoos...

“...!”

The tattoo artist’s expression suddenly changed, and she rose from her seat.

'What’s wrong?'

Then she quickly pointed to a notice on the wall.

[Service may be refused under certain circumstances.]

Next, she pointed at my arm.

“...!”

Surely not.

: Socius :

: Benefactor :

“... Can you see this lettering?”

She nodded twice.

Her expression asked why I was stating the obvious. Was it because she, too, was a resident of a ghost story?

No, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

“Is this lettering why I can’t get a new tattoo?”

She nodded.

“Not even on my other arm or my back?”

She nodded again.

“... Then are you saying there’s no way for me to get a new tattoo at all right now?”

She gave a hesitant... nod.

Damn it!

“I didn’t even ask to have these letters tattooed on me. Is there really no other way? I was so looking forward to this...”

I let my shoulders slump as though utterly dejected.

Looking flustered, the tattoo artist seemed to mull something over before finally pulling something out from behind the counter.

'An advertising pamphlet?'

She flipped it open and quickly pointed to a passage on the page.

[Cover-Ups Available]

[Let us give your existing tattoo a fresh transformation.]

“...!!”

[※At Moonlight Tattoo Shop, our cover-ups do not conceal existing tattoos, but maximize their appeal.

Discover a new beauty, with the meaning fully preserved.]

Wait a minute.

So was she actually offering... an enhancement procedure?

-Splendid! Those tattoos from the theme park mascot and the lodge worker were rather much. Why not choose something more aesthetically pleasing for yourself?

-Nightjars, constellations, the Eight Trigrams... There were plenty of beautiful patterns! A stylish cover-up would be just the thing!

I lowered my head.

: Socius :

: Benefactor :

“Could you do both?”

The tattoo artist nodded.

'You can only get one new tattoo, but are cover-ups an exception? She’ll do both?'

But I had an instinctive hunch.

'She’ll do a better job if I choose just one.'

This was a shop, so naturally, the more you paid, the better the tattoo you received.

Rather than dividing that value between two, I was better off choosing just one if I could.

“...”