Chapter 42: Corridor Strategy (2)

I hadn't invited Yoo Dahee into the corridor, but Dahee was here in this "Nightmare Corridor" and she was yelling at us to get out of "1-4" quickly.

I, who had turned many crises into opportunities, understood exactly what this situation meant.

Dahee's true identity. It was probably...

"Dahee. Yoo Dahee. I have a favor to ask, could you come into this Class 4?"

I invited Dahee into Class 4 to confirm her true identity.

Ghosts couldn't enter this Class 4 full of talismans.

If Dahee was a ghost, she wouldn't be able to enter Class 4 either. The smart Jung-seok seemed to read my mind and added:

"That's right! Yoo Dahee! You come in here quickly too!"

"Come in! Come in!"

"...You guys, this isn't the time to be doing that! You need to get out of there quickly!"

We were trying to make Dahee come in, and Dahee was trying to get us out of the classroom.

The meaning of this situation was very clear.

"The identity of the third ghost was Yoo Dahee! The reason no one knew the identity of the ghost that killed everyone it met was because the person talking about it was the third ghost herself!"

Dahee's true identity.

It was clearly the third ghost appearing in the corridor, the "??? Ghost"! The identity of the third ghost was the "High School Girl Ghost"!

"Yoo Dahee, how could you deceive us! I trusted you! I trusted you! You evil girl!"

"G-Get away!"

Both Jung-seok and I shouted at Dahee, filled with anger at being deceived and fear.

Please go away!

If Dahee stays in front of Class 4, we can't escape!

If she keeps guarding this place, we're trapped mice!

"......"

Then, Dahee looked around.

Whether she noticed something or discovered something, she suddenly ran off somewhere.

"She's gone!"

"Young-won! We drove the ghost away!"

Just as Jung-seok and I were hugging each other and jumping for joy, we started to hear the jingle-jangle of bells. Jung-seok's body stiffened.

"Hey. This sound..."

"Yeah. It's the shaman ghost we met during the feng shui ghost incident."

Jingle-

Jingle-

Something approached from the end of the corridor, shaking a bundle of bells in its hand. We could see its form quite clearly because it was holding a candle in its other hand.

It was a woman wearing colorful traditional Korean clothes. Even from a distance, her face was visibly hideous, with a long, protruding tongue.

"Ugh, damn, it's scary."

Creak-

We closed the classroom door for now. We knew the shaman ghost couldn't enter "1-4", but just in case.

Jingle-jangle-

The bell sound was getting closer. The distance had narrowed to the point where we could hear the shaman ghost's creepy muttering.

"Where is it can't see can't see it where is it can't see can't see where is it where where where."

It still sounded like it was searching for something. What on earth is the shaman ghost looking for?

As I was thinking this, Jung-seok, who was hiding under a desk, whispered as if puzzled.

"But Young-won. Yoo Dahee just ran away somewhere, right? Didn't it look like she was running away to avoid this shaman ghost? I thought ghosts didn't harm each other?"

Was that so?

Come to think of it, Dahee's behavior did look like she left knowing this shaman ghost was coming from far away.

I'm not sure what that means, but the important thing is that we should send away the shaman ghost and meet up with Yang Juhee.

Creak-

Just then, the door of "1-4" opened. A chill ran down my spine, and I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Here it is here it is here here it is here."

The shaman ghost opened the door of 1-4...? Weren't ghosts supposed to be unable to enter 1-4? Even Yoo Dahee didn't come in earlier!

As I was panicking-

Jingle-jangle-

The shaman ghost entered the classroom of "1-4" one step at a time, making bell sounds.

Jung-seok and I probably had the same thought at the same time.

We're screwed.

Jung-seok and I each crouched under desks.

We held our breath, covered our mouths and noses, and stayed completely still, not making even the tiniest sound.

Jingle-jangle-

"Where is it here it is where here it is can't see can't see dark come out quickly."

Step. Step.

The shaman ghost circled the classroom in its socks. I don't understand how it doesn't bump into desks or chairs when it doesn't seem to have eyes.

Jingle-jangle-

The shaman ghost finally brushed past the desk I was hiding under.

I felt a tingling sensation from my tailbone to my head, and the tension and excitement running through me made me dizzy.

It truly felt like a brush with death. The one fortunate thing was that, as we expected, the shaman ghost 'couldn't see'.

Please leave like this-

As I was thinking this, something unexpected happened.

"Ugh."

A stench so strong it made me want to vomit started to assault my nose. This was similar to the symptoms from the various lockers and trash cans with talismans attached.

I tried my best to hold back the urge to vomit.

But the problem was Jung-seok, who grew up as a rich young master and had no tolerance for such stench.

"Blegh!"

Jung-seok made a loud noise as if he couldn't endure it anymore and vomited.

That's when it happened.

Jingle-!

The bell sound rang loudly, and the shaman ghost, who had been moving as if to leave the classroom, turned its shoulders greatly and smiled at Jung-seok with a chilling face.

"Foooouuuund yoooouuuu! Kihihihihihi! Hihihihihi!"

It was a truly chilling situation.

A woman with a mouth torn up to her ears, sticking out her long tongue, rushing madly towards Jung-seok.

Jung-seok was so startled that he fell over with a thud, and who knows what would happen if this continued.

I... had to make a decision.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Over here! Here! You shaman bitch! You fucking bitch! I'm here! Waaah! Waaah!"

I stood up and deliberately made a loud noise. I banged on the desk furiously and screamed terribly.

Honestly, I was terrified.

I felt like I might have a heart attack at any moment, but thanks to my new trait 《Strong Heart》, I was able to endure somehow.

"Why did you commit suicide at school and become a ghost, you damn nuisance! Aaaaargh!"

Jingle jangle jangle-!

"Kihihihihihi! Hihihihihi!"

The shaman ghost started running towards me, with its mouth wide open. Its mouth, torn up to its ears, looked big enough to swallow my head whole.

How could a woman with no eyes run so fast!

I immediately started running too.

If I stopped even for a moment, I'd be caught, and I couldn't imagine what would happen if I was caught.

One thing was certain: if I stopped, I was screwed!

"Aaaaargh! Aaaaaaaaaaargh!"

I screamed my lungs out while desperately trying to hold back the feeling of about to wet my pants.

Right now, I was like a walking siren. Of course, there was a reason for screaming like this.

"Hey! What! What is it! You're Ha Young-won, right! What's going on!"

Yang Juhee! Juhee appeared in that corridor!

Juhee, holding a lighter flame, was like light itself! I could understand how the people of Gondor felt when they saw Rohan's cavalry!

"Hey! Juhee! Help! Help! Stab her with the knife! Stab the shaman bitch with the knife!!!"

I was shouting madly not only to draw the shaman's aggro away from Jung-seok but also to bring Juhee towards us.

I thought Juhee would definitely come towards us if she heard the noise!

"Y-Y-You fucking bitch!"

Padadadadat-

Juhee seemed to be running towards me, but then she lunged at the shaman ghost and forcefully stabbed its face with the box cutter!

Jingle-!

"Aaaaaaaaaaargh──!!!!"

The shaman ghost screamed in a voice full of anger and pain, clutching its face.

"It worked! Juhee, well done! Now let's go! Quickly! Let's get Jung-seok and go!"

When Juhee stabbed the elevator head ghost with the knife, the ghost was in pain for about 20 seconds. We had to use these 20 seconds to retrieve Jung-seok and escape to the safest place possible.

Of course, now that "1-4" was ruined by the stench, where could be safe!

"Hey! Jung-seok! Are you there!"

"Y-Yeah!"

Jung-seok had fallen near "1-4", unable to properly escape.

He was a total coward. But this was fortunate for us!

If he had run too far away, it would have been difficult to regroup!

Flutter-!

After regrouping with Jung-seok, I unfolded the map using Juhee's lighter flame as a light source.

First, we need to find a place where we can hide!

"The staff room! There's a staff room!"

Jung-seok pointed to the staff room marked on the map. But as I remembered, the staff room was locked.

"The staff room is locked!"

"Locked? Then nearby... the broadcasting room! There's a broadcasting room!"

Thanks to Jung-seok quickly reading the map, we were able to set a goal.

***

Fortunately, the broadcasting room wasn't locked.

It was a place with various soundproofing setups, so when we closed the door, it felt like the surroundings suddenly became quiet.

Ring ring ring-!

"Aaaaargh!"

But outside, we could still hear the maddening bell sounds and a woman's screams.

The muttering that seemed to be searching for something was now full of screams filled with malice, hatred, and murderous intent after being stabbed by Juhee's knife.

If we're caught... we're screwed.

"Young-won. I've looked at the map a bit. It seems the parts with red lines on this map indicate locked doors. There's a red door at the staff room too. This broadcasting room has a blue door."

"Oh. Now that you mention it."

Jung-seok was almost flying in terms of helpfulness when it came to strategizing or analyzing situations, even though he was of no help when facing ghosts.

Looking at this map, we can know in advance which doors are locked and which are open - that's what it means.

The map is freaking awesome! From now on, I should put class president Jung Sojin into the corridor more to bring back good items!

"Phew..."

My legs gave out, and I slumped down in the broadcasting room. Soon, Juhee asked.

"Hey. What's going on?"

"We don't know the details either. A ghost entered '1-4'. Before that, Yoo Dahee was there."

I briefly explained the situation. Then Juhee got very angry.

"That fucking Yoo Dahee! She was a ghost? I had a feeling she might be!"

Yoo Dahee was a ghost...

It was important information, but on the other hand, there was something more important.

Why did the shaman ghost enter "1-4" and why did the stench start? That was more important to me.

"...Maybe the talismans aren't like a barrier?"

I was imagining that with talismans, ghosts couldn't approach, thinking something like "Tch, a barrier."

But the shaman ghost just entered "1-4" full of talismans. Jung-seok said.

"Young-won. I think it might have a similar effect to the 'Subtle Perfume' you had before. Maybe the talismans have the effect of minimizing our presence as much as possible? It wasn't perfectly hiding us."

The talismans weren't blocking ghosts... but hiding our identities nearby - that's what it meant.

Thinking we were invincible because of the talismans, I made a lot of noise in "1-4" to call Juhee, and as a result, the shaman ghost's aggro was drawn, and it entered despite the talismans.

It was a plausible guess.

"It seems the talismans emit a stench when ghosts are nearby. Like the trash can we hid in before. In other words, it would have been better not to let ghosts into '1-4' from the start."

Jung-seok concluded.

I agreed with that conclusion and felt like I had done something very regrettable.

Thinking the talismans made us invincible, I did something stupid and unnecessarily lost one safe zone.

"...Then maybe Yoo Dahee knew about this? Is that why she tried to get us out?"

I recalled when Yoo Dahee told us we had to get out of "1-4".

If that action wasn't meant to get us out of the classroom to kill us, but to help us knowing this would happen?

Ah - I don't know.

Just then, Juhee, who was always rummaging around, seemed to have found something.

"Hey, you guys. Have you seen anything like this?"

There was a big hole where Juhee was pointing.

A hole in the floor, a hole leading to the basement.

Whether by coincidence or fate, it was just big enough for one person to fit through!