The figure stood in the corner of the room.
Its face was hidden as its head was bowed and its body faced the wall. It wore a shabby blue janitor's uniform. Beside the figure was a cluttered tool cabinet filled with old, seemingly random items -- mops, brooms, folders, papers, and electrical tools. Wires dangled from the ceiling without any apparent purpose, hanging like the aerial roots of a banyan tree, untidy and neglected.
This is what Ranu Inten told his colleague Saban that afternoon.
"Are you serious, Ran? In that unused corner room?" Saban responded, visibly surprised.
Saban's reaction was not without reason.
Ranu Inten, who had been working at the company for four years, was known as the most honest person in the world -- maybe even the universe. It was almost impossible for Ranu Inten to lie intentionally, let alone deceive others for fun, jokes, or, heaven forbid, malicious intent.
Saban stared intensely at Ranu Inten, his eyes wide, trying to scrutinize his friend's face for any signs of deceit. And indeed, Saban's efforts paid off. He could see the serious expression on Ranu Inten's face. His features were tense, a mix of fear, worry, and earnestness. There was no way not to take him seriously.
After being questioned and scrutinized so closely, Ranu Inten gave a small nod. But that was enough to make Saban believe him, prompting a long, drawn-out sigh from Saban.
"Maybe it was just a janitor, Ran," Saban tried to rationalize the story.
"I hope so, Ban. I hope what I saw was just a person, an employee here, or maybe I was mistaken," Ranu Inten replied.
Ranu Inten didn't push the explanation further or insist that Saban believe what he had just seen.
Ironically, Ranu Inten's modest response only made Saban believe him more.
Ranu Inten and Saban were senior employees at a company in the online business and marketing sector. Both worked in the same division, advertising. The company, Combatant Co., had been around for ten years but had only seen significant growth in the last four years. Ranu Inten had been working there for seven years, while Saban had joined a few years later.
When they first started, Combatant Co. was housed in a small shop with no more than twenty employees. Now, Combatant Co. rented a building in an elite complex with over 300 employees across two offices.
Ranu Inten, a moderately built and not particularly handsome man, was known as a straightforward, formal but not stiff individual by his colleagues and subordinates. He could joke and socialize well. What set him apart was his honesty and professionalism, which made him well-regarded as someone with manners and courtesy.
Saban, on the other hand, often felt insecure next to Ranu Inten despite their long-standing friendship. Saban was an extraordinarily handsome man, always dressed fashionably and up-to-date. However, in terms of character and behavior, Saban often faced criticism for being the opposite of his friend. Saban was blunt and chatty, often playing pranks and behaving immaturely. Yet, he remained popular among the women at work, his bosses, and even clients, thanks to his fun personality and good looks. Compared to Ranu Inten, Saban seemed like a mischievous little devil under the wing of an angel.
Three days after Ranu Inten shared his experience with Saban, he returned with another story.
The tale of the haunting -- a man bowing his head and facing the wall next to the tool cabinet in the neglected room -- spread like wildfire. Saban was the one who spread it among the employees and colleagues at Combatant Co.
Initially, given Saban's known playful nature and penchant for jokes, not many took the story seriously. But once they knew the source of the story, everything changed.
Dahayu, a Combatant Co. employee who, while not the prettiest, had an incredibly striking figure, approached Ranu Inten at his desk. "Is what Saban said true, Ran, about what you saw?"
The fragrance of Dahayu's perfume wafted into Ranu Inten's nostrils.
Even for a saint-like Ranu Inten, the sight of Dahayu's chest straining against her tight work shirt was impossible to miss.
"Is it true? Or is that alley cat lying again? If he's lying, I'll never listen to anything he says again. I don't understand why girls fall for that rusty playboy's cheap lines," Dahayu said angrily, referring to Saban.
Ranu Inten didn't know that despite Dahayu's harsh words about Saban, they had already shared intimate moments three times. Nor did Ranu Inten know how curious Dahayu was about his own manhood. This encounter was a perfect excuse for Dahayu to approach and interact with him directly.
Ranu Inten lowered his head, worried that he might be caught staring at Dahayu's chest, which was just inches from his face.
Gathering his courage, Ranu Inten finally looked up at her. When their eyes met, he nodded, slowly but firmly.
Dahayu screamed. Her entire body shivered, and an electric current seemed to run through every inch of her skin.
From that day on, Dahayu became Saban's mouthpiece, spreading Ranu Inten's story far and wide.
The building stood in an elite area, surrounded by other grand buildings in the complex. It wasn't far from a luxurious apartment complex on the hill and a dense residential area below, where Dahayu lived.
However, not many knew the history behind it.
"What's the story with this building?" a new employee, who had been with Combatant Co. for only three months, asked Dahayu, who was seated like a queen on her throne. Besides the new girl, four other women sat attentively in front of the queen, focusing on the storyteller.
"Well, the funny thing is, no one knows what that room used to be. It wasn't a janitor's room or a storeroom. The tool cabinet contents were even stranger. Everything was mixed together. I once checked it out of curiosity. There were papers, brooms and mops, electrical tools, even pots and old clothes that belonged to who knows whom," Dahayu said convincingly.
"Before this complex became large and luxurious, it was built on reclaimed land from a natural lake. You know how lakes can hold mysteries," Dahayu continued dramatically.
The listeners' reactions were predictable. They felt a mix of fear and excitement, letting out small screams. Each girl rubbed their arms to smooth down their goosebumps.
In another corner, Ranu Inten smiled slightly, almost invisibly.
It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was packed with employees from various companies in the elite office complex, as well as random visitors or clients taking a break.
The man watched the bustling crowd, feeling a mix of emotions. Many glanced at him with a mix of fear and curiosity, or openly stared and greeted him. All because of the story circulating about the ghost he supposedly saw. "Ranu Inten Sees a Ghost". That would be the headline if the story were in a magazine or newspaper.
All this time, Ranu Inten had upheld his life philosophy of honesty and good behavior. This integrity had earned him a respectable job, the trust and respect of others. His honesty had become legendary within the company and extended to their partner companies. With his tenure and personal integrity, it was no surprise that a high position would soon be his.
His life should have been perfect, right?
But secretly, Ranu Inten felt empty, especially since meeting Saban, who had become his close friend. Ironically, while Saban felt insecure around Ranu Inten, Ranu Inten envied Saban's carefree and mischievous nature. Ranu Inten was always surrounded by serious and 'respectable' people. Saban, the playful one, was full of tricks, jokes, and other not-so-respectable behaviors. Yet, he received so much attention.
Male colleagues enjoyed Saban's jokes and stories, while women were captivated by his looks and charm.
Ranu Inten wanted to break out of his own limitations. He wanted to experience something new and different. He wanted to lie!
Unexpectedly, his story about a ghostly janitor standing in the corner by the old tool cabinet took very little effort. If what he did was a business, he was now making a huge profit.
A strange but delightful sensation bubbled up inside him. The thrill of lying and having everyone believe it was exhilarating.
He wanted to do it again. Lying was addictive.
"Ran, what you said turned out to be true. You know Dedeh? Dedeh Komariah from the other division?" Saban said excitedly one morning, a month after Ranu Inten had shared the ghost story at their office.
"She stayed late yesterday to pick up some files from Dahayu. After Dahayu left, Dedeh stayed to work on some data on Dahayu's computer. Now, she had heard the ghost story that's been making the rounds in our office, but she claimed she didn't know where the room was or what it looked like. Dedeh said ...," Saban lowered his voice to a whisper, " ... she saw the exact figure you described in that room, Ran."
Ranu Inten frowned, trying hard to keep his face serious and not laugh. Why was someone else perpetuating his story? He couldn't believe how fascinating it was to see who else would use his lie as a basis for further tales.
"Oh yeah? What else did she say?" Ranu Inten asked, feigning interest while maintaining his serious expression.
"Even now, when I recall what Dedeh told me, it still sends shivers down my spine. At first, she thought the person was just an office boy, a janitor, so she didn't pay much attention. She even intended to greet the janitor casually, but then the figure turned towards her. His tongue was sticking out, Ran," his friend's eyes widened dramatically.
Ranu Inten sighed, trying to suppress the amusement welling up inside him. He remained silent, not even nodding in response.
For a full two months, as Ranu Inten had predicted, his legendary tale continued to circulate and evolve. A few additional stories from others about a man with a protruding tongue---no longer just facing the wall---manifesting in that mysterious room added layers to the mystery.
Ranu Inten still told his share of lies. He embellished here and there to bolster the tales from others, which were obviously fabrications themselves. But, of course, he assumed no one doubted his words.
Until one day, on his birthday, the office was eerily quiet. It was three in the afternoon, an hour before closing time.
Having just left the CEO's office after a twenty-minute meeting, he felt a pang of disappointment. His story had gone viral, and he had been the talk of the town for the past three months. Yet, it seemed everyone had forgotten his significant birthday today. He couldn't spot anyone else in the office. Where had everyone gone?
Ranu Inten walked slowly to the pantry to refill his water bottle from the dispenser. Passing by the infamous mysterious room, he smiled, recalling the absurdity of his fabricated story.
There was someone there!
Ranu Inten jolted and froze in place. He rubbed his eyes to see more clearly.
Indeed, there was a human figure---dressed in a worn-out blue janitor uniform---facing the wall. Its head was bowed beside the tool cabinet, with long cables dangling above.
Ranu Inten couldn't believe his eyes. But the figure was undeniably real.
How could this be happening? Wasn't his story just a lie and a mere fabrication? Or could it be that Dedeh Komariah's and the others' stories were actually true?
The figure in the janitor uniform slowly turned around.
Ranu Inten still couldn't move. His body felt rooted to the ground.
The appearance of the figure, originally a creation of his imagination and falsehoods, was now vividly clear. The man's face was ghastly pale. His tongue protruded, and his eyes bulged as they stared at Ranu Inten.
Ranu Inten collapsed to his knees. His legs gave way beneath him. The figure slowly approached, then suddenly lunged at him.
Ranu Inten screamed at the top of his lungs, in a dramatic, hysterical outburst. It was the loudest scream of his life, until the figure pounced on him.
All the employees emerged from their hiding spots---behind the tool cabinet, stacked boxes, and who knew where else.
"Happy Birthday, Mr. Ranu!" the employees cheered.
Saban, Dahayu, Dedeh Komariah, and Combatant Co.'s CEO were all there.
Dahayu laughed heartily. Her chest heaved under her tight white work shirt. No matter how confused and panicked Ranu Inten felt, his subconscious still noticed the outline of her bra pressing through her clothes.
"Incredible, Ranu Inten, known for his honesty, turns out to be quite the prankster. The entire office has been in on it for months," said the CEO, patting Ranu Inten's shoulder as he sat on the floor.
"Now it's your turn, Ran. The entire office pranked you," Saban proclaimed. His statement was met with hearty laughter from everyone gathered in that mysterious room.
Ranu Inten felt utterly humiliated. He didn't know where to hide his face. Saban's mocking laughter was bad enough, but Dahayu---the office's most attractive woman---seemed to sneer and mock him. And the CEO, whom he had just met face-to-face for twenty minutes in his office, shattered Ranu Inten's world the most.
It turned out that everyone knew he had been lying all this time. Being honest for too long had made it impossible for him to fabricate a convincing lie. Ranu Inten had become viral, but not because of his story, but because of his deception. "Ranu Inten Lies" should have been the headline.
Ranu Inten tried to laugh and thank everyone present. He attempted to lie one last time, pretending that being pranked like this made him happy and appreciated, just like anyone else given a surprise birthday celebration.
But his world had completely crumbled. He couldn't face tomorrow. To meet the contemptuous and mocking faces of Saban, Dahayu, Dedeh Komariah, and the CEO as if nothing had happened. He was certain that his future was over. The honesty he had maintained for so long was shattered. His colleagues, clients, even the company's leader would never trust him again.
Finally, all the employees went home, leaving him alone to eat his birthday cake, accompanied only by Saban's jest, "Watch out, you might encounter that janitor guy again."
It was Saban who had played the role of the ghostly figure in the shabby blue uniform that had lunged at him earlier. Saban had even gone as far as dusting his face with white powder and sucking on a red candy to make his tongue appear brightly colored.
Ranu Inten walked wearily towards the mysterious room that turned out to be nothing more than what it seemed. Approaching the cables hanging from the ceiling, he first dragged his office chair. Testing the cable's strength with his hands, he climbed onto the chair, then looped the cable around his neck and secured it tightly.
With a single swift motion, Ranu Inten kicked the chair away. His body convulsed for a few moments before his breath ceased altogether. He died facing the wall beside the old, worn-out tool cabinet, his tongue protruding.
Ranu Inten had completed his own tale. He had become the haunting figure in that room.
