Ch. 48 - Interlude - [Year: 202_?, May 11th? |Thurs-Monday, 03:□0]

[Year: 202_?, May 11th? | Thurs-Monday, 03:□0]

[Lee? Joon: Number of Attempts - 1]

[Ghost Story. 2nd day]

[Cau?? Sal…ity Rate: 83%]

“Captain.”

“Gyeongwon.”

“You haven't gone to sleep yet?”

“Huammm.”

Letting out a tired yawn, I stopped organizing the map and rubbed my sleepy eyes.

As a habit, I checked the watch on my wrist.

“...It's already 3 a.m. Is Jinhee back?”

“She came back just now.”

“What did she say?”

“Just as Captain predicted. The light we saw in the middle of the fake 63rd building was a trap. There were no survivors inside.”

“Just as I thought…”

“The bodies of the three members who entered first were fused together with the building. It's as if the thing has a mind of its own. I can't help but get an ominous premonition…”

“… I'll take care of it. She has done a great job.”

Sweeping down the hair from my forehead in exhaustion, I asked.

“What about Jinhee? Is she okay?”

Gyeongwon nodded his head.

“She's fine.”

“Thank God. She did a great job, really.”

“Captain, you should go and shut your eyes for a moment. I'll finish drawing the map.”

“Yes, please.”

A map of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Area, highlighting the subway lines, was lying on the desk.

I had been marking the places where people were or had encountered ghost stories, the dangerous places that civilians should avoid, and the location of the shelters of survivors where supplies would be provided.

I was trying to modify the map as well, trying to depict a future where everyone would be wiped out and there are no survivors left.

Currently, I was in the process of periodically modifying the maps and making multiple copies to distribute among my team members.

“Here. I was comparing the previous map with the current copy for the last time, focusing around Noryangjin Station. You can start from here. I think there's been a mistake. It seems different…”

“Yes.”

“In particular, the fast food restaurant in front of ShinLim Station... Perhaps something really has changed. I have written the explanation of what could be changed, so read it carefully.”

“I get it, I get it, I get it. You should really go and sleep before you truly become crazy.”

“Thank you.”

I got up from my seat and left the office. Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I stepped into the hallway.

After the expedition, the crew that was just sent out to an operation returned from the operation safely. They took the elevator from the ground floor and came down to the underground base of the facility, took off their diamond-printed protective gear, and began to go about their everyday life.

The quiet environment became lively at once.

As I went down the hallway, I met Jinhee afar, leading the team in front. As our eyes met, we both nodded at each other before she disappeared at the turn of the hallway, and I headed for the Surveillance Room.

“Captain, why are you still awake?”

Dukhun greeted me as I entered the Surveillance Room. He had a bucket of ramen with salted fish at hand, which he slurped as he sweated and wheezed as usual.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yup. Except for the loss of three more members, everything seems fine.”

“I want to see the footage just before the three members died from the body camera that was set on their protective gears.”

“Everything is recorded anyway. You can watch it anytime you want. Do you want me to play it now?”

“Yes.”

Dukhun gulped another spoonful of ramen before pressing on the keyboard.

Three monitors from the dozens of surveillance monitors hanging around the room were converted to the footage of the body camera of the three dead members.

Two, out of the three monitors, showed the images of the three members entering the fake 63rd building.

However, in the other one, the image of a woman with a bright smiling face was shown. The face of hers, raising her head and laughing like a maniac was covering the whole screen.

“Eek, one video is already corrupted.”

Dukhun quickly deleted the video of the crazily laughing woman.

The world was slowly being corrupted with madness and ghost stories after the resurrection of the Demon King.

In the remaining two videos of normally functioning body cameras, members were seen roaming around the interior of the fake 63rd building. Watching the situation in the body camera, I felt like I was present in the scene.

The interior of the building was too unnatural to call a building. The walls of the building were sticky and gooey, as if it was the inside of the stomach of an organism.

Weird liquid was flowing everywhere.

[Here it is. Stand by.]

In the video, Jinhee's voice leading the crew was heard.

[Following my countdown, we will kick the door open. 3, 2, 1. Enter.]

Creak-

I watched as Jinhee's right foot kicked the door dripping with suspicious sticky liquid open.

As soon as they entered through the door, the video began to shake around and static began to appear.

[Eh? What?]

[Oh my god, f*ck!]

The bizarre fluorescent colours on the screen made the video blurry. Mixing with the scene in the footage, the screen looked colourful for a moment.

And suddenly, something hit the camera and the screen went dark.

The camera dropped on the floor and gradually sank in the weird liquid. Before going off dark completely, it took one last close-up shot.

Under the sticky liquid, I could see human organs.

“Huup.”

Not being able to watch such a disgusting scene any longer, I turned my head away from the monitor as Dukhun turned the footage off.

Slurp. Nom, nom.

As a man with a big stomach, he ate ramen casually even after watching such a grotesque video.

It was this reason why I assigned this guy in charge of the Surveillance Room.

In this era, with nothing staying still, not progressing, being renewed, updated–be it printing, videos, images, or anything else–we must be careful in everything to ensure our minds do not get corrupted.

I turned my head to the monitors and watched the footage of a surveillance camera nearby. The camera was among the numerous cameras set around the fake 63rd building.

Through the darkness of the night, I could see two large buildings, standing side by side at the back of the ruined city.

One was a building with the number 63. And the other was a similar build and number. However, it was a fake structure of the real 63rd building, made by a ghost story.

I had predicted that it wasn't a building, but rather a living thing.

On top of the building, I could see a giant dragon flying over the carcass of human corpses among the dark clouds.

“Goodnight. I'll go to bed now.”

“Slurp, goodnight.”

I left the Surveillance Room and headed to my sleeping quarter before murmuring quietly.

“Status Window.”

Pop.

[Year: 203_? May? 11th, Tues-Sunday, 3:□0]

[Lee? Joon: Number of Attempts - 1]

[Ghost Story: 2nd day]

[Cau? Sa…lity Rate: 83%]

Dukhun once told me.

That there exists people who were crazy enough to keep playing a game even after reaching a bad ending.

I couldn't believe it back then.

“Huu.”

Since the resurrection of the Demon King, it has become increasingly difficult to read the messages of the Status Window. The words were unrecognizable, with split endings and middles. Not only was it difficult to understand the messages, most of the functions of the system were not working.

I went to bed, wondering about how many years... no, how many more days I could survive.

♦

* * *

“Joon, Joon, Joon!”

“Eu, eurm? Wha, what is it... who is this, this? Oh, Sunah."

I woke up drooling at Sunah's call. Rising my head from the desk, I stretched my arms as Sunah began to speak.

“During the 4th period, there would be a Career session instead of Korean History class… Wake up……”

“Eu, eurm, eu... That's right."

I wiped off my saliva before checking the time through the Status Window out of habit.

[2019, March 22nd | Friday, 10:57 AM]

[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts - 2]

[Ghost Story Point: 202]

[Causality Rate: 11%]

‘Oh no, we've got only three minutes.’

Rubbing my eyes, I stood up from my seat.

Everyone in the class has already left the classroom.

Sunah and I were the only ones left in the quiet classroom.

“Oh, why have they held a Career session for no reason? I'm planning on making a living by winning a lottery anyway.”

“Let's go quickly…”

Sunah urged me, stomping her feet and grumbling.

Seeing no choice, I headed to the auditorium while rubbing my eyes.

The gym was on the left side of the main building.

When there is an event or Career session like today, it is also used as an auditorium.

By the time I entered the threshold, it was already packed full with students of the whole school.

“Be quiet! Quiet everyone!”

A scary-looking teacher of senior grades stood on the stage and kept yelling in the microphone for everyone to be quiet.

“Where's our class?”

“Over there…”

Squeezing between hundreds of frantic students and teachers loitering around, I stood on my tip-toes and saw the round belly of our homeroom teacher, Damim, sticking out in the distance.

“There's Teacher Damim! Let's go over there.”

“Yes.”

Sunah followed me through the crowd of the students with an anxious face, huffing and puffing along the way.

“Prez, you finally came. You were sleeping so soundly that I couldn't dare to wake you up and left without you.”

“Okay. Thanks for your care.”

I passed by Gyeongwon, who was suddenly showing consideration for me for no reason, and squeezed into the empty seat next to him before sitting down.

My legs bent uncomfortably under the folding chair as I sat down. While I was adjusting my position on the chair, a teacher, who was in charge of hosting the event, stood on the platform.

“The Career session of Nakseong High School is starting now. Please be seated in your respective seats.”

“Those who came here today to share their wonderful journey to success have worked hard in their respective fields, and also as members of society for more than 10 years. We all know today is a weekday, right? However, they have still blessed us with their presence at Nakseong High School to help our students in their careers. Even though it is a weekday, they took their precious time off just for us. Therefore, let's listen to their stories without being distracted. Hey, the student on the second row! Put down your phone right now! You p*nk there, one, two, three! In the third row, you! Yes, you p*nk! I just requested everyone to not get distracted and focus. Don't doze off, you p*nk!"

At the sharp yelling of the teacher on stage, the Korean history teacher was surprised and ran to the second row in a hurry.

It must have been someone from our class. Zzz

Poke.

“Ahh!”

I muted the sound of the noisy surrounding from the Audio option of the Settings of Status Window to have a moment of peace and quiet. However, perhaps I had lowered the volume too much, I dozed off quietly without me knowing. Gyeongwon poked me with his elbow, startling me awake from my slumber.

When I looked up in surprise, I could see my homeroom teacher staring at me from a distance.

As I rubbed my eyes and looked at the stage, I saw a bear-like scary-looking man holding the microphone and speaking.

‘Heurm. I couldn't sleep well last night because of the psychopath thingy I did and had to wake up early in the morning today. Please, let me get some sleep, please…’

Knowing that I would fall asleep again if I kept the volume too low, I opened the Audio option and turned the sound back to normal.

The voice of the man slowly entered my ears as the volume went up.

“What's interesting is that in the case of dead bodies, who hanged themselves or committed suicide in any way, there were traces of semen…”

Suddenly, the man looked at me. Before I could look away, our eyes met.

Then, he winked at me and continued with his explanation.

Was it just me?

He didn't actually just winked at me out of the hundreds of students, did he?

* * * During lunch time.

“Rock, paper, scissors. Sunah won.”

“Sunah, pick one!”

“Um…”

Instead of going back to the main building, we were thinking of choosing the lunch menu through the food delivery app.

“I want to eat chicken…”

“Okay. Which flavour?”

“The one with shredded cheese…”

The next period was Club Activity session where we would be doing our own club activities.

That was why, instead of going straight to the cafeteria, we planned to order food directly to our clubroom through the delivery service.

“Let's decide who will go to get the food from the first floor with rock-paper-scissors. Loser will have to get the food from the first floor."

“Okay.”

Since the school allowed students to order food and deliver them to the respective place during the Club Activity period, many students, especially the seniors would order food from the cafeteria and bring them over to the main building.

However, delivery workers weren't allowed to go in and out of the building at will.

One of us had to wait near the playground on the first floor and pick up the food.

“Rock, paper, scissor! Rock, paper, scissor!”

I lost.

Sunah and Gyeongwon giggled as I stomped out the clubroom and went to the first floor for our chicken.

When I came downstairs, I saw many students already had their food at hand.

‘They must have ordered in advance through their phone during class times. They're really brave.’

The delivery drivers entered the playground on motorcycles and handed heavy paper bags of food to students waiting on the first floor of the main building.

At the entrance far away, the security guard could be seen strolling around the main gate, looking dissatisfied as he glared at the students gathered around the delivery workers.

From the perspective of someone older, the scene was annoying. Perhaps he also thought we were just being spoiled rotten. The gap between the two generations was big.

But, what could we do since the school gave permission?

A moment later.

“Now, it's turn for the chicken with shredded cheese. Here's the food you ordered. Where are the people from the Ghost Story Club?"

“Oh, here I am!”

I took the chicken from the delivery man at the entrance of the main building.

A few of my seniors stared at me hearing the strange name of my Ghost Story Club.

As I was about to go back after receiving the food, I ran into Hayoon who was walking to the cafeteria.

“Joon.”

“Oh, hello.”

As we greeted, Hayoon eyed the bags of chicken in my hand.

I ordered chicken for only three members.

I had planned to order food with Sunah and Gyeongwon without thinking of my other members. However, after thinking about it, I belatedly realized that other members might feel left out if they saw me ordering for only three of us.

Although I was just a student, I was the president of the club and had the duty to look after them.

“This chicken, it's…”

As I began to mumble, Hayoon stared at me.

It was as if her eyes were asking ‘Why didn't you invite me?’

“I, I'm sorry... It just so happened that.”

“I hate you.”

Hayoon said with pursed lips.

Fortunately, her tone seemed friendly, as if she was just teasing me.

She didn't seem really angry or upset.

“Hey, Hayoon... Do you want to eat chicken together?”

“Now it's late, Joon.”

Hayoon refused in a friendly tone and then headed to the cafeteria.

“I'm sorry, I'm really sorry…”

It happened because I didn't have any way to contact the members of my club.

If we had a group chat, I could have asked them if they would like to have lunch together in the clubroom.

“Hayoon, wait!”

Hayoon, who was about to enter the cafeteria, stopped and looked back at my call.

“Can, can I have your number?”

"What?"

Hayoon suddenly gave me a blank stare.

“Your number. I think we should have a group chat.”

Suddenly, a smile bloomed on her face as she took out her phone.

“You want my number?”

“Yeah, so that…”

“Sunah will be upset if she finds out.”

At her teasing tone, my heart thumped for a moment.

“No, what are you talking about? That's not what I mean. I want your number because I want to open a group chat.”

“Hahaha.”

Hayoon smiled with thin eyes as if teasing me.

“It seems Joon likes me very much.”

“That, that's not it…”

“You want my number, don't you? Well, what should I do? I need to think about it.”

Tilting her head, she pretended to think hard as she made fun of me with a smile on her face.

Seeing her smiling face, I felt that I shouldn't open my mouth anymore, lest I make a fool of myself than I already did.

The more I say something, the more I feel like I was just making excuses to get her number.

‘Hang on, this situation. I think I've been in a similar situation once…’

When was it?

As I thought about it, I felt like I've been teased like before.

However, I couldn't remember when it was. It was like when you wake up from a bizarre dream, you can't remember the content because of fuzzy memory.

‘... Was it a dream?’

Oh, right.

It was in my dream.

“Joon. You are a pervert.”

Now I remembered.

It was during the ghost story, Dream Within Dreams, when Hayoon had to blow in my mouth through a recorder to pass me out for lack of oxygen.

As realization dawned on me, I opened my eyes wide and looked at the girl in front of me.

Hayoon snatched my phone from my hand with a smile, and soon entered her number before giving it back.

“How can you do that, Joon? I'm hurt.”

“Abo, about the Chi, chicken? Sorry, I'm so sorry about that... If we go together now…”

Before I could say anything further, Hayoon cut me off and said something that made me freeze on the spot.

“How can you leave a pretty girl like me alone on the rooftop? Joon is not a gentleman.”

Then she turned gracefully and walked away.

I stood stupidly with my phone in one hand and chicken in the other. Only when Hayoon walked far away did I come to my senses and mumbled belatedly.

“Status Window.”

Pop.

《STATUS WINDOW

Name: In Hayoon LV.1 [0/100]

Age: 17

Title: Wife Material

Disposition: ??? Click to reveal

Special Ability: None

Quirk: ???

Understanding: 5/100》

[Your understanding of the target character is too low. Please interact more with this target character to obtain more information.]

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