Chapter 18
Bang bang, bang bang bang-
"Open this door!"
"I gave birth to a son, and all he does is play games at home all day!"
The Moms' pressure was intense. I was worried the door might be ripped off its hinges.
「I'll give you my address! Come quickly, hurry! Run here! Run! Run here!」
「Yang Juhee: Why are you so pushy?」
I learned yesterday that Yang Juhee's house is in the same Cheonmun-dong as ours, about a 10-minute walk away.
With Juhee's long, slender legs, she could probably run here in less than 5 minutes if she tried.
Thinking it might be hard to explain over text, I went ahead and called her. She was slow to answer, as if she'd suddenly disappeared mid-conversation.
-My heart's so soft-
-Like clear stream water-
How long did that new idol song play as the ringtone?
"Pick up already! Hurry up! Hurry!"
"Hello?"
"Hey! Come to my house quick! I'll give you the door code! Come to my house! My house!"
"What's this? Our Young-won, calling me to your house first thing in the morning? What are you up to?"
"Come and do something about my mom!"
I've dealt with quite a few ghosts and monsters these past few days.
I've come up with some pretty clever ideas to exorcise ghosts, if I do say so myself, but there seemed to be only one way to overcome this situation with my mom being duplicated.
That was to call Yang Juhee!
"Hey! It's about us! Don't you remember what happened last night? We're not strangers! Come quick! Please come to my house!"
We played together at the playground last night. And you took my outstretched hand, remember?
That means we formed a partnership.
"...What's going on, really? Are you trying to act all high and mighty because of what happened in last night's dream?"
What dream?
Before I could ask more, the call cut off. As if to fill that silent void, my moms' angry voices continued.
"Son! Who were you just talking to? Is it your girlfriend?"
"You used to say you'd marry mommy, and now you're secretly calling some strange girl! There's no point in raising sons!"
Geez, this is terrifying.
Then suddenly, a bright idea popped into my head.
"I... I like my girlfriend! I don't want to live with mom anymore! I'm going to live with my girlfriend! I'm moving out and getting married! Mom! I'm going to be independent!"
If a ghost is imitating mom, then maybe I should say things mom would hate.
Just like when I kept calling the Auntie Ghost "auntie" and got a brief respite, maybe it would have the same effect on the Mom Ghost!
"Mom, just give me 5,000 won! Other kids' moms give them 10,000 won allowance every day, but I don't even get an allowance! I can't even go to the academies other kids go to!"
What else?
"I don't even have a dad! And since there's only a 17-year age gap between us, my friends always tease me, saying it wasn't just speeding, it was crossing the center line!"
How can I really dig into mom's heart?
I've always been a filial son, so I'm terrible at this kind of situation!
But my clumsy attempt at being unfilial wasn't entirely ineffective, as the noise outside my room, which had been so loud, suddenly went quiet.
Did my rebellious son act exorcise the Mom Ghost? Turns out I might have a talent for being an unfilial son!
"Young-won, what are you doing? You need to go to school soon. You'll be late. Should mom drive you to school?"
Just then, I heard mom's calm and gentle voice from beyond my door. It was a reassuring voice that made the recent chaos seem like a lie.
I felt the urge to open the door and see her face. I unconsciously started to move.
But the "Congratulations!" exorcism message didn't appear before my eyes. The Mom Ghost was still out there.
I took out my phone and tried calling mom.
Ring ring ring, ring ring ring-
The call was going through, but she wasn't answering. I should try shouting outside.
"Mom! Do you have your phone?"
"Yes, I'm holding it right now. Why?"
"Is there anything strange?"
"Strange? I don't know? You're the one acting strange. Why aren't you coming out when you'll be late if you keep dawdling? Come out quickly. You need to go to school."
If she had her phone, she should know I'm calling her right now. She should have at least said, "You're calling mom?"
I had to make a decision. I moved my hand and left a message for Yang Juhee.
「Hey when you come in there'll be two of my mom beat them both up hard」
She must have been looking at her phone because the 1 disappeared immediately.
「Yang Juhee: What are you talking about? Anyway, I'm at your front door」
Beep, beep beep-
I heard the sound of the door code being entered! Yang Juhee has definitely arrived at our house!
Click-
I heard the door open and someone coming in.
"Hey, Ha Young-won, calling people over first thing in the morning... Oh... Hello?"
"My, who's this?"
"Is this our Young-won's girlfriend? When did you get such a pretty girlfriend!"
"Are you Young-won's older sister?"
"Look at how she speaks. Pretty face and pretty words."
"Not sister, mom. We're both Young-won's mom. Young-won has two moms."
Shit, this is driving me crazy.
I couldn't believe this conversation was happening in this world. I shouted towards the outside.
"Hey! Those people aren't my mom! Beat them up hard! Hit them hard! Beat them up!"
"What? Ha Young-won, what are you saying? Who are you people?"
"We're Young-won's mom, we said?"
"We're Young-won's mom. You become a mom too. Yes. You become a mom too. You become a mom too. You become a mom too. You become a mom too. You become a mom too. You become a mom too."
"...What are you doing? Don't come closer. Kyaa!"
I heard a sharp woman's scream. It must be Yang Juhee screaming!
After hesitating for various reasons, I thought I had no choice but to open the door and go out.
"Yaaaaaah!"
And I shouted vigorously while wildly hitting and swinging at everything I could see.
Women screaming everywhere, something hitting me, and me getting hit back - it was utter chaos.
"Ack! You bitches!"
I came to my senses as Yang Juhee shouted loudly, followed by the screams of the moms.
"Kyaaah! You crazy bitch! Young-won, break up with her right now!"
"She can't even recognize her own mother-in-law!"
This was why I called Yang Juhee.
I couldn't bring myself to hit my mom, even if she was fake. But Juhee, being used to fights, could hit people without hesitation.
However, seeing my mom being hit, even if she was fake, was painful, so I just closed my eyes, covered my ears, and crouched on the floor.
I wish everything would just be a dream when I open my eyes.
***
Ding-
『Congratulations! You have defeated the 'Ghost Under the Bed'!』
『Calculating rewards for 2 survivors.』
『You gain 100P.』
The sound of the status window appearing helped me regain my senses.
When I opened my eyes, the house was a complete mess, and Yang Juhee was panting with a nosebleed, her hair in total disarray.
Her bloodshot eyes darting around made her look so scary, it was like seeing a ghost.
"Young-won, can you explain what just happened? Where did those women go?"
"Well, what we just fought... was a ghost. I think you beat it. Hey, could you put down that flower pot and we can talk? I'll explain everything."
If Juhee and I had entered the Nightmare Corridor together yesterday and cleared it, this conversation would've been easier.
In the end, I sent other people into the corridor, so I didn't have time to explain to Juhee what I've been experiencing.
Still, after going through that bizarre situation just now, Juhee must have realized this wasn't normal.
I decided to explain calmly, thinking of turning this crisis into an opportunity.
"As you just saw, I have a high chance of getting involved with ghosts or strange events. I'm not lying, it's real ghosts. I don't know why this is happening either. But I need to survive somehow."
"......"
"I know. Honestly, it's hard to believe. I get it. But it's true! Look, I'll prostrate myself like this! I'll kneel. No, I'll bow! Please believe me! Please!"
When people desperately want something, they tend to lower themselves and prostrate on the ground. I prostrated myself in front of Juhee with desperation, and she backed away in shock.
"Then... what about what you said in my dream yesterday?"
"What did I do in your dream yesterday?"
Did I appear in Juhee's dream last night? I put other guys in the corridor, so there's no way Juhee and I could have met.
It seems Juhee just had a dream where I appeared.
I wonder what kind of dream it was.
"I appeared in your dream? What kind of dream was it?"
It could be related to the supernatural. Maybe I should hear about it?
But Juhee blushed and played dumb.
"What are you talking about? Why would you appear in my dream?"
"No, you just said you met me in a dream. What kind of dream was it?"
"I don't know! Is that important right now? Really... what a mess, first thing in the morning. My makeup's all ruined. Real ghosts, this is ridiculous. Ghosts..."
"This is why I asked you yesterday at the playground. I said you might be able to meet your sister again. But in exchange, who knows what we might go through."
"Ah, geez."
Juhee got angry. It would be troublesome if she got scared and ran away now.
Look how she just beat two ghosts by herself. Juhee was exactly the talent I desperately needed right now.
"I'll give you time to think it over if you need it. Try to consider it positively if you can."
I spoke calmly, but inside I was scared Juhee might run away.
What should I do? Tempt her with money? How can I convince her?
"It's fine. We made a promise yesterday, didn't we? Unlike you, Young-won, I'm not a liar. I'll hold hands with you, Young-won."
...Wow, she's accepting this. Juhee's such a cool girl. Impressive.
Honestly, if it were me, I would've run away without looking back.
Things are working out surprisingly well.
Recruiting one ally and earning 622 points!
My life was truly on a lucky streak!
I was honestly very satisfied with the 622 points. It's enough to make me feel full even without breakfast.
I'll have enough points left over to try the "Capsule Gacha" that I've been curious about since the shop opened.
Speaking of which, I should try the "Capsule Gacha" at the quiet library later!
I wonder what will come out of the capsule!
With that in mind, I walked to school with Yang Juhee.
Walking to school with Juhee made me feel like a popular guy with a girlfriend in high school.
Honestly, because Juhee is pretty, she naturally attracted people's attention. Walking next to her made me feel a bit smug, you know?
Vroom-
Just then, a car pulled into the alley crowded with students. It was an incredibly long, luxurious-looking foreign car.
"Wow, who could be riding in a car like that? Is there a congressman inside or something?"
If I make some money with this status window and traits, could I buy a car like that too?
Thinking about it, it was funny. I'd have to go through all sorts of trouble with my status window to afford a foreign car that someone else could buy and drive without any superpowers.
As I was thinking that...
Swoosh-
The black car stopped, and a female student wearing the same uniform as me got out. A chaebol's daughter? I was thinking life was unfair, but looking closely, she was holding a poetry book titled "The Flowers of Evil."
"Uh..."
Wait, isn't she from the library...?
As I was trying to remember, the girl approached me.
"Why didn't you come yesterday? I was waiting."
What's this about now? It felt like my brain suddenly lagged.
"Who, me?"
Is she talking to someone else?
Soon, Yang Juhee muttered in a small voice.
"...Yoo Dahee."