Chapter 145: Coward

We also found out that the monster running the shop is called "Wiggly". It didn't seem like particularly important information.

"We paid 100P, so this secret door should open now."

The thread connected to Yang Juhee's uniform was pointing to this wall. Thinking even the smallest thing could be a hint, I pulled the doorknob on the wall.

Click, creak-

"Oh, it's opening."

Going inside, we found a narrow path that would be just wide enough for one person. I called it a path, but more accurately, it was like an extension of the shop.

There were actually items with price tags lined up on both sides. These items were quite bizarre and expensive.

『Water Ghost's Swimsuit: Allows you to breathe underwater. 500P』

『Complete Score of the Suicide Symphony: If played perfectly, it can completely drive away any ghost. 1,000P』

『Science Lab Fireworks: Fireworks that can be used in the science lab. Can shatter all mirrors on the second floor. 1,000P』

『Persimmon Stick: Used to knock persimmons off high branches. Good for knocking down ghosts or objects stuck to the ceiling. 1,000P』

『Wiggly's Tail: A wiggly tail. Premium item. When purchased, all shop items are discounted by half. 50,000P』

Oh, shit-

They were all incredibly tempting, but the purchase points were at least four digits. What's with Wiggly's Tail costing 50,000P?

Is it even possible to collect 50,000 points?

『Gun: It's a gun. Bullets sold separately. 5000P』

There was also an item identical to the gun we had acquired. So it's originally a 5000P item.

If we couldn't have gotten the vortex key... does that mean we would have had to collect 5000P just to acquire a gun? Thinking about it that way, the key we got from Mr. Kang Bada seemed amazing.

Just then, Yang Juhee exclaimed, "Ah!"

"What? Did you see something wiggly again?"

I'd heard the saying that curiosity killed the cat. Yang Juhee was a very curious cat, so I was worried. To be precise, she was closer to a puma or leopard than a cat.

"No! Something round! Look at that! That! Look at that!"

There really was something round where Yang Juhee was pointing. It was about the size of a volleyball, but unlike a ball, it had eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

"That's Se-yeon unnie! Bong Se-yeon! Bong Ji-yeon's sister!"

Is it really?

I heard that Bong Ji-yeon's sister Bong Se-yeon's head hadn't been found yet. To think that head was in a place like this.

『Someone's Lost Head: It's someone's lost head. You might be able to hear an interesting story if you use a special method. 1000P』

Expensive.

Ms. Hong Mi-ri, who was watching this scene with the gun pointed, also commented.

"Ugh, what's that? It's scary. How can something like that exist? It looks like it might open its eyes suddenly."

She seemed scared seeing another head, even though she had been just a head herself at one point.

Come to think of it, Ms. Hong Mi-ri's head was scarier… 

Of course, I couldn't say that out loud.

After pondering what to do, I decided to keep walking down this secret passage.

As we walked, we came to a dead end. Yang Juhee also said she couldn't see anything like a red thread anymore.

"It looks like we'll have to buy that head."

Bong Se-yeon's head.

I was intrigued by the idea that we could hear an interesting story through a special method. The problem was that I only had 160P left.

***

Back at the shop, I racked my brain to earn points. My plan was to sell the items we had to the shop to earn 1,000P and buy Bong Se-yeon's head.

For reference, here's the list of items we had:

Yang Juhee – Uniform, Zippo lighter, Escape talisman

Me – Vortex key, Escape talisman x5

Hong Mi-ri – Camera, Escape talisman, Gun.

Yoo Dahee – Paper crane, Escape talisman.

Should we sell some escape talismans? We had 7 escape talismans now.

Thinking that, I put one escape talisman on the shop's counter.

『Do you want to sell this item? Sold items will be permanently lost.』

『Yes/No』

"It's hard to sell without seeing the price. Honestly, considering how hard we worked to get these talismans, it seems better to have more of them."

What else could we sell besides the talismans? My camera?

Honestly, this camera was incredibly helpful, so I was reluctant to sell it.

Then how about the "Vortex Key" I got from Mr. Kang Bada? It might be useless now that we've acquired the gun. 

But what if there's another vortex box somewhere on this third floor─ I thought. Then we'd need the key...

"Should we bring the arm that the spider woman dropped? That might sell for some money."

Yang Juhee made an interesting suggestion.

When Yang Juhee had stabbed the Gandara priestess's shoulder with the box cutter, the Gandara priestess had dropped one arm and left.

I had completely forgotten about that arm, but Yang Juhee seemed to remember well. Soon, Ms. Hong Mi-ri spoke, holding the gun.

"It's not far from here, so I'll go quickly."

Having Ms. Hong Mi-ri with the gun seemed reassuring in many ways. That gun was a 5,000P item, so it should be effective against the third floor monsters.

If it's not, that's cheating.

"I'll go too."

Yang Juhee decided to go with Ms. Hong Mi-ri. She seemed to have some confidence.

"After being in that box in the school basement last time, I feel like I understand this temple a bit. If I'm with you, the ghosts won't dare to attack recklessly."

"Okay. Then you two wait here. We'll be back soon."

Ms. Hong Mi-ri and Yang Juhee left the shop. Only Dahee and I were left behind.

Dahee still looked gloomy.

"Dahee, what's wrong? You look upset."

"I don't know."

Dahee's uniform, as she sat in front of the campfire, was stained with red blood splatters. It was blood that had splattered when she hit Kim Geon-ho earlier.

I wondered if that incident had caused her change in mood.

"Come here, let me see your ear."

Yoo Dahee gestured to me. I approached the campfire and leaned my ear towards her.

Then Yoo Dahee brought her lips to my ear and─

Chomp-

She bit my ear.

"Ouch!"

I was really startled by the sudden bite. Yoo Dahee laughed, "Puhehe-" at my reaction.

...

I was glad that the gloomy Yoo Dahee seemed to have found her mood again. As I was unnecessarily rubbing my ear, Dahee spoke.

"I was thinking about what wish I'd ask for when we reach the fourth floor."

"What kind of wish do you want to make?"

"I don't know. In the past, there were many things I wanted to do and have, but these days, I don't really feel that way. Just a feeling that things aren't so bad right now?"

"Right now?"

"Weird, right? We're meeting all these scary ghosts and going through life-threatening situations. But I feel more alive now than I ever have before."

"I understand that feeling. It's exciting because we don't often experience things like this. I wonder if life will feel boring when it's all over?"

"Maybe it will."

Yoo Dahee nodded as if she understood.

Swish-

Dahee now sat with her knees up, hugging them with both arms.

"Time passes so quickly. It feels like it was just yesterday when I met you in the library, Young-won. I knew it was you at first glance. You were tall and wearing a school uniform."

"Really? I didn't recognize you."

"Because I've become too pretty?"

The sudden curveball made my head spin. I didn't know how to respond to that.

High school girls were still as mysterious to me as ghosts.

"Why aren't you answering! I'm disappointed! You should say yes right away!"

"Okay!"

"I can't feel any emotion in that."

"No, Dahee, you are pretty!"

Ugh, what am I saying right now?

My face felt hot as if the campfire had intensified.

"Then who's prettier, me or Juhee? Me or Sua? Me or Ms. Hong Mi-ri?"

The rapid-fire questions left me bewildered. Today's Dahee was a bit different from usual.

"Why aren't you answering!"

"Human beauty is highly subjective, you know. And I've never compared who's prettier normally, so I can't answer right away when you ask."

"Do you think I asked because I wanted to hear that kind of answer?"

"...No."

"Then what if you had to choose just one? If you could only save one of us someday, who would you save? You only have 10 seconds. You have to choose, Young-won. 10, 9─"

8─

7─

Time is running out.

I knew what answer Dahee wanted to hear. She probably wanted me to say Yoo Dahee. In other words, this was a question with a predetermined answer.

If I close my eyes and say Dahee's name, I might get through this moment of crisis. But what if a time really comes when I have to choose just one of us? There's no guarantee that such a thing won't happen in the future.

"Time's up! Because of you, Young-won, we all ended up dead!"

"Dahee, that's too harsh a question."

"You're the one who's too harsh. How could you not say my name?"

Pluck-

Yoo Dahee reached out and plucked one of my hairs. Then she looked at it and chuckled.

"I heard from Mrs. Danvers that my mom was the daughter of a long line of shamans. I might have talent too. So I'm going to put a curse on you, Young-won."

"Gah, why!"

Maybe because it was Dahee saying it, it didn't sound like a joke. I feel like Dahee could really do something like a curse.

Rustle rustle-

Dahee slowly crawled towards me.

"This is a truly terrifying curse. From now on, no matter where you are, you'll think of me, and you won't be able to forget about me."

Dahee's face was suddenly right in front of me. I could feel her breath.

Dahee had big eyes and long eyelashes. Her face was white and her hair was nice. If a girl like this puts a curse on me, I'll truly become a prisoner.

"It's okay if you don't choose me when the time for choice comes. No matter what you do, I won't come to dislike you. For me, you'll always be first, Young-won."

"First... even more than yourself?"

"Yeah. Probably."

"I don't like that."

Dahee would die for me. She actually had before.

I didn't like that.

As if understanding my feelings, Dahee said.

"Then convince me."

"...How?"

"Figure it out yourself."

Figure it out myself-

I thought hard for a while and raised my hand. Then, I gently patted Yoo Dahee's head.

"...How's that?"

"Coward."

Swish-

Yoo Dahee's eyes came closer. And just as I felt her breath on my nose, something soft collided with my lips.

My face felt hot. It felt like my mind was blurring into strange colors like a Van Gogh painting.

To think Dahee would kiss me. This was my first kiss.

I'll probably never forget this for the rest of my life.

Bang-!

Just then, I heard a noise so loud it made my ears ring. It was a sound I'd never heard before, but it was probably a gunshot.

I jumped up from my seat, trying to shake off the extremely awkward and embarrassing feeling.

"L-let's go check it out! Something must have happened to Ms. Hong Mi-ri!"