Next to the underground parking section, there’s a small space that feels as if it was squeezed in by a building owner desperate to rent out just one more storefront for profit.
And the small shop occupying that cramped space… is the very place I planned to visit today.
A peculiar tattoo shop.
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Chronicles of Darkness Exploration / Ghost Story
[Moonlight Tattoo Shop]:
A ghost story listed in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
Daydream Inc. ID Code - None
Currently, the only official exploration record by Daydream Inc. regarding this location is a one-time report filed as “It is Vacant (Qterw-C-818).”
For more detailed information, Document-#818-15623 (Civilian Interview Record) can be accessed, though its credibility cannot be guaranteed.
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Does the phrase “credibility cannot be guaranteed” make it dangerous?
Not at all.
After all, the ghost story behind “It is Vacant” is a satirical tale about human nature—our inability to accept goodwill as goodwill and our tendency to search for bad intentions in everything.
Contextually, this place can only be a “good” one, as long as it doesn’t contradict the civilian interview records.
“– Are you going in?”
Yeah.
I politely pressed the open button next to the frosted glass door.
Creak.
The door slid open, revealing the inside of the tattoo shop.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary, humble shop. Though slightly worn, the space was well-maintained, and a notice at the counter stated that the shop only offered individual appointments.
However, a beam of light shone down onto the central tattoo chair.
Moonlight.
Oddly enough, a transparent LED panel had been installed directly overhead to allow the moon to remain visible in the shop’s center. From there, artificial moonlight poured down.
‘Exactly as described.’
“Excuse me?”
When I called out, the owner emerged from behind the counter.
She was a woman wearing a sleeveless top, her neck densely covered with Korean tattoo lettering. Her tied-up curly hair and overall demeanor instantly evoked words like artisan or artist.
“I’d like to inquire about a tattoo consultation. Is that possible?”
Nod.
“Could you tell me the price range?”
The tattooist pointed to a sign on the counter wall with an unassuming expression.
[Payment in kindness only.]
That’s right.
The shop didn’t accept regular cash. Instead, payment was made with items that pleased the owner—and there was one type she especially favored.
[Preferred Payment: Items related to the sea.]
Because of this unique preference, civilians who accidentally matched the criteria ended up experiencing something truly extraordinary.
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Document-#818-15623
Civilian: Honestly, I just got lost. I was trying to find a tattoo shop near ■■ Station, but somehow ended up in a neighborhood full of empty stores.
And that’s when I found the tattoo shop in the basement.
There was a sign saying they accept items related to the sea. I thought that was really unique, so I tried showing them a small hourglass keychain I had. And they accepted it!
Then I was guided to the tattoo chair in the center.
-------------------------------
And so, I prepared something to perfectly match this “preferred payment”.
“Would this be acceptable?”
I opened a rectangular velvet case from my briefcase.
Inside, shimmering beads reflected dazzling light.
“These are pearl beads.”
“…!”
Exquisite, incredibly expensive marine pearls.
They were Akoya pearls with a flawless spherical 10mm diameter, exhibiting a white-green hue with a pink aurora sheen that made them look almost holographic.
‘To be honest, there are more expensive sea-related items, but…’
According to the records of a civilian who visited this place, the shop owner seemed particularly fond of items that were significantly affected by the passage of time.
And pearls, being an organic material, are highly susceptible to time.
‘Besides, they were something I could quickly source during my lunch break from a wholesale market in Jongno.’
To be extra cautious, I specifically avoided South Sea pearls, which are less affected by time, and chose Akoya pearls.
“How about these?”
“……”
Nod, Nod, Nod, Nod, Nod.
She nodded over and over again.
The tattooist stared blankly at the luminous pearls before carefully taking the case from me.
A glimmer of joy flashed in her unassuming eyes.
‘What on earth does she use these for?’
I had no idea.
In any case, the tattooist swiftly organized the case behind the counter before politely guiding me to the center.
To the chair beneath the moonlight.
“Thank you.”
Shortly after, the tattooist brought over a large lemon drink and an enormous booklet.
So far, everything matched the descriptions.
They handed me a lemon drink and a booklet. It looked like a collection of tattoo designs, and there was a section labeled ‘Basic Designs #3.’
I chose a tiny dolphin silhouette from this section. During the procedure, they told me to close my eyes, but strange enough, there was no pain at all.
I glanced at the booklet’s cover.
If the person who gave the hourglass keychain received a design from “Basic Designs #3,” what would I get for presenting pearls worth millions of won?
Of course, this line of thinking might be overly materialistic.
‘After all, this is a small tattoo shop in a ghost story. Such earthly methods might not work on its mysterious owner…’
[Royal Special Premium #1 (Customizable)]
“……”
Well, it worked very well.
“Thank you.”
Money rules everywhere, after all.
In any case, it seemed the designs in this booklet represented the options I could choose with my payment.
‘Hmm.’
I began flipping through the pages.
Designs included water droplets forming constellations, a polar bear’s claw seamlessly integrated with Inuit patterns, and a pastel depiction of a serene evening seascape.
They were all stunning.
If I had come here out of a genuine passion for tattoos, I’d be admiring them and carefully making my choice.
But, honestly, that wasn’t the point for me.
‘After all, the tattoo will disappear the next day.’
To be precise…
It felt like a dream. I definitely got a tattoo, but it was completely gone the next morning.
But here’s the truly strange part.
The tattoo you get here gets ‘absorbed’ into you.
I suddenly became really good at swimming in the sea.
Like the dolphin I got tattooed.
In other words, the tattoos here grant special abilities based on their design.
‘I absolutely can’t miss this opportunity.’
In the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, there must be dozens, if not hundreds, of ghost stories about granting people talents or abilities.
However, it’s almost unheard of to receive something in such a gentle manner, without losing anything.
In a world full of insane ghost stories where you have to sell your body, your soul, or at the very least, your conscience to gain anything, the “Moonlight Tattoo Shop” was truly like a single ray of light in the darkness.
‘I’ll definitely pick something good.’
I furiously flipped through the pages of the catalog, trying to deduce the abilities behind each design.
“– Roe Deer, I’d like to take a closer look too!”
Oh, right. Braun might be able to read more into this.
I carefully took the plushie out of my pocket and placed it in front of the catalog.
“– Oh, the artist’s sense of aesthetics is quite nice. I think… hm?”
The tattoo artist’s eyes sparkled as she scrutinized Braun intently.
Then, she picked up Braun.
“...! H-Hey, wait a second…”
[SERVICE]
“......”
“– Careful. Please handle me gently. My body is stuffed with cotton, so it doesn’t move very well… hm, uh-huh, hm….”
The tattoo artist placed Braun into a basin she brought over, skillfully rubbed her hands with some aromatic oil, and began kneading and shaping the plushie.
...A massage?
“– Aaaaa... the exhaustion from filming is just melting away...”
The plushie was making comments like a celebrity worn out from their schedule...
It was certainly a shocking sight, one I’d never encountered in any ghost story before.
...Was this heartwarming?
‘...Let’s just pick a design.’
After thanking the tattoo artist for returning the now-shiny Braun, I returned to flipping through the pages.
There weren’t any designs that particularly hinted at specific abilities. The only peculiar thing was the abundance of designs related to the sea.
Well, in that case…
“Do you have any recommendations?”
How about asking outright like this?
“Something symbolic of courage or boldness, fearlessness perhaps, is there anything like that here?”
Yeah. What I needed the most was probably that.
‘Escape from cowardice…!’
Although the variety of abilities available here was tempting, ultimately, my most fundamental and powerful unique ability was the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>—information.
And to use that information effectively, having a mental state capable of rational judgment was a top priority.
‘I can’t keep living with a heart that feels like it’s going to stop at any moment…!’
How many times had I nearly died because of this cowardly heart?
‘This is my one and only chance to enter the Moonlight Tattoo Shop through this ghost story.’
So, it made sense to use it for my most urgent need!
Even though asking so directly wasn’t mentioned in the records, I took the risk. Thankfully, the tattoo artist calmly flipped through the catalog and pointed to one design.
The design was...
“…A tomato?”
Yes.
It was a tree with tomatoes growing on it.
The bold strokes of the pen depicted the branches, leaves, and fruit in a dynamic, rustic style.
There was a lonely, rough, and poetic vibe to it.
The only color was on the bright red tomatoes.
‘A tomato, huh? Why would this have anything to do with courage?’
Honestly, I had no idea, but the tattoo artist only communicated using the pre-written catalog, so I couldn’t get a detailed explanation.
Still, since it was a recommendation from the tattoo artist, it had to be reliable.
“Yes. I’ll take this one.”
The tattoo artist nodded cheerfully and collected the catalog.
“Oh, and for where to place it…”
I rolled up my left sleeve.
If I was getting one anyway, I figured I’d have it near where I already had something…
“…!”
The tattoo artist’s expression suddenly changed, and she stood up from their seat.
‘What’s going on?’
She quickly pointed to a notice on the wall.
[Service may be refused for certain reasons.]
Then, she pointed at my arm.
“…!”
No way.
: Socius :
: 恩主 :
“…Can you see these markings?”
Nod, nod.
She gave me a look that seemed to say, “What kind of question is that?” As expected, she was part of the ghostly world.
No, the important thing wasn’t that.
“Are these markings the reason I can’t get a new tattoo?”
Nod.
“Even if I get it on the other arm or my back?”
Nod.
“…So, there’s absolutely no way for me to get a new tattoo right now?”
Nod…
Damn it!
“I didn’t even want these markings! Is there really no way? I really wanted to get one…”
I slumped my shoulders, visibly crestfallen.
The tattoo artist looked flustered, seeming to hesitate before finally pulling something out from the counter.
‘A flyer?’
The tattoo artist flipped through the flyer and quickly pointed to one part of the text.
[COVER-UP AVAILABLE]
[Transform your existing tattoos into something new.]
“…!!”
[※ The Moonlight Tattoo Shop’s cover-up process doesn’t hide the original tattoo but enhances its appeal.
The meaning remains intact, while a new beauty is revealed.]
Wait a second.
So, this is actually… an enhancement procedure?
“– This sounds promising! The theme park mascot and the lodge caretaker tattoos are a bit much. Perhaps something more artistic would suit you better?”
“– Nighthawks, constellations, trigrams… there are so many beautiful patterns! Wouldn’t it be better to cover them up with something like that?”
I lowered my gaze.
: Socius :
: 恩主 :
“Can I get it done for both?”
The tattoo artist nodded.
‘So, I can’t get a new tattoo, but cover-ups are an exception, and I can get both enhanced?’
I instinctively felt it.
‘She’ll do a better job if I only choose one.’
Since this was a shop, she’d naturally put more effort into tattoos she’d receive proper compensation for.
Instead of splitting the value between two, it was better to focus on one.
“……”
I deliberated.
And then…
“Please cover up this one.”
I pointed to one of the tattoos.
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