The prologue

Japan 2009

At exactly eleven o'clock, while taxi driver Jang was returning home, he noticed someone running behind him and asked him to stop. When he stopped, the person got into the taxi and then, crying, told Jang: "Please take me to St. Luke's Hospital." Jang noticed signs of fatigue in him, so he did not want to refuse his request. On the way, Jang got worried because he noticed the passenger holding his ear screaming and crying. When he asked why, the passenger replied, "There's something in my ears. I can feel it. It's in my blood." Then he started scratching his ear until it bled.

Jang told him, "Try to sleep on your ear; maybe you will calm down a bit." Indeed, when the passenger did this, he took a deep breath and was able to close his eyes for a moment, but then he began to shout and scream, saying, "Why is this happening to me? Is it because I have been taking care of my sick mother? I should live a happier life, but now I will die without someone to take care of me."

At that moment, Jang increased his speed and showed signs of panic on his face until he was finally able to take the passenger to the hospital. After that, he went to the car wash, ignoring his wife's calls, then told Akemi, the owner of the car wash, "Ask them to clean this car with all the disinfectants." Akemi replied, "Calm down, Jang. I haven't seen you like this for so long. Did the death specter run after you?" Jang sighed in response, "No, he was sitting behind me."