[2019, May 10th | Friday, 14:10 PM]
[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts – 2]
[Ghost Story Points: 79]
[Causality Rate: 21%]
“Teacher, put your arms inside…”
“Wheeze……”
While the Teacher was changing clothes, the male members were waiting in the hallway.
Since the material was difficult to put on alone, the female members were inside helping out.
“It seems like it might go in if you push it a bit….”
“Ouch, ouch!”
The sound of struggling and grunting kept coming from inside the clubroom.
Shortly after, Teacher Jang Hwaeun, fully dressed in a latex bodysuit and wearing a stocking over her head, opened the door and stepped out.
“Huu, huu…”
“……”
The teacher, breathing heavily and trembling, stood before us.
We awkwardly turned our heads away at the exaggerated curves of the latex suit that were embarrassingly prominent.
“… I’ll buy you a hammer right now.”
Since the Store only operated inside the clubroom, I stepped in briefly and hastily purchased a hammer with 1 point, then handed it to her.
“The method is the same as before. While Teacher breaks the mirror at the central entrance, we will split into two teams and keep a close watch at the east and west entrances. After breaking it, the side where we raise our hands will be the safe zone, so just run toward us to escape.”
“Huu, huu…”
“If you get caught, I’ll immediately kill myself and reset the timeline, so you don’t need to worry about losing your job or anything like that.”
The female monster in the full-body latex suit, breathing heavily, silently pushed past me with a shove.
“Let’s follow her.”
“Commence the operation.”
We split into two teams on the 5th floor.
Once again, me, Dukhun and Hayoon were assigned to the east team.
The four of us, including the Teacher, hurriedly rushed down the stairs together.
“Huu, huuuu……”
Although a suspicious-looking full-body latex monster was walking down the hallway, the other students were busy with their club activities, so the hallway was deserted.
“Okay, we’re on the first floor. Dukhun, check the hallway.”
“It’s quiet.”
Following Dukhun’s hand signal after he first checked the first-floor hallway, the Teacher descended the stairs and looked both ways before exiting through the east door.
“Fighting, Teacher.”
“……”
Of course, we could also go through the hallway to the main entrance and break the mirror, but since it’s important to create the impression as someone who had intruded from outside, the Teacher deliberately went out and moved around.
“Hey, pass it here!”
“Uh…”
Under the bright sunlight that made people feel lethargic, the sound of the Soccer Club kicking a ball and playing echoed from the playground.
Amidst that, a glossy black full-body latex monster swayed and ran by.
A complete, unidentifiable outsider who you would never think of could be a teacher.
“She’s arrived.”
Standing in the distance in front of the main entrance, the Teacher looked around left and right.
Sunah, from the west entrance far away, showed an okay sign, and I from the east entrance, also showed an okay sign.
Both sides were safe, so she could break the mirror and choose to escape in whichever direction she preferred.
‘It’s starting.’
As soon as I gave the sign, the Teacher quickly opened the glass door and rushed inside.
We also hurried inside and confirmed the teacher swinging a hammer at the mirror across the hallway.
Bang! Bang! Bang Bang!
Clang! Clang! Clang…
Pop-
[You have come across and survived a C-rank ghost gtory – 7 Mysteries of School ① ‘Mirror and Rock-Paper-Scissor’]
[You have earned 10 Ghost Story Points.]
[You have used your wit and successfully managed to break the cursed mirror!]
[You have earned 50 Ghost Story Points.]
[You will receive an additional 10% bonus points for each contributing member.]
[Contributing Member (6 members): Ahn Gyeongwon, Oh Dukhun, Yoon Sunah, Lee Jinhee, In Hayoon, Jang Hwaeun]
[You have received an additional 60% bonus points on the total earned 60 points, 36 points.]
[Current Ghost Story Points: 79 +60 +36]
Ping~
[Current Ghost Story Points: 175]
At the same time, the door to the men’s restroom on our side of the east hallway opened, and the homeroom teacher came rushing out in surprise.
“Wh-what! What’s going on!”
Me, Dukhun, and Hayoon from the east team hurriedly hid ourselves by the corner.
Teacher Jang Hwaeun also hurriedly rushed out again through the central entrance.
“What, what is it… What’s that sound…”
The homeroom teacher hurriedly ran down the hallway toward the main entrance, and outside, Teacher Jang Hwaeun was running in toward us.
Although they were heading in opposite directions, the homeroom teacher was inside the school, and Teacher Jang Hwaeun was outside, so he didn’t notice her.
The murmuring sound of the students who were engaged in activities in the classroom on the first floor could be heard, but they did not seem to notice the black monster that passed by outside the window in an instant.
“Mirror! The mirror……”
“Gasp, gasp……”
As soon as the homeroom teacher arrived at the central entrance and started to panic at the sight of the broken mirror, the latex monster entered through the east entrance on our side.
“No one saw you, right?”
“Yeah, let’s go quickly…”
The Teacher passed me by and hurried up the stairs.
“Hurry up, hurry up!”
“Gasp, gasp……”
There seemed to be a commotion on the first floor, but as we climbed a few flights of stairs at one go and moved farther away, the surroundings quickly became quiet.
“Up to the 5th floor, quickly……”
“Huff, huff…..”
As the rubber of the latex suit rubbed together, it made a squeaking sound whenever the Teacher moved.
“Wait, stop!”
I quickly came to a halt and stopped the members in the landing of the 4th and 5th floors.
“Oh, haa. Yeah… So……”
Right in front of us, a senior from the band club had just finished a call and entered the clubroom.
Creeak- thud.
“… Move now!”
After reaching the 5th floor, we quietly ran down the hallway.
The other club members, who had arrived in the clubroom earlier, opened the door as if they had been waiting.
Click!
“Huff, huff, wheeze……”
“Oi, no one saw you, right?”
Dukhun nodded while sweating.
Hayoon also caught her breath, pulling a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead due to sweat.
“Hey, what happened, President? This time…..”
I showed the okay sign while panting.
“C-rank ghost story, extermination done successfully.”
“Hoooooo……”
The club members let out a deep sigh, as if they had accomplished something.
This time, we had easily defeated one ghost story.
“Can I take this off now……?”
“Ah, yes… But if we all went out into the hallway right now, people would stare at us weirdly……”
After a brief discussion, the male members stood facing the wall, and Jinhee decided to keep watch over us.
“Oh Dukhun, you punk! I just saw you rolling your eyes this way!”
“Oh, I didn’t roll my eyes… ah, ouch! Ha, I told you I didn’t…”
Jinhee began harassing us, the men, who stood facing the wall, and kicked our shins for no reason.
Thus, the mirror and rock-paper-scissor ghost story ended in a chaotic game of rock-paper-scissor and the Teacher causing a ruckus in a latex suit.
* * *
“……”
5 minutes before the CA session ended.
“……”
We sat around the desk.
Normally, we would have been celebrating the achievement light-heartedly, but the Teacher’s expression was far from pleased, making the air feel gloomy.
‘…Did she really get upset?’
Teacher Jang Hwaeun, with her lips tightly shut and eyes closed, seemed to be really upset.
Even now, she must be thinking that I could have bought her another outfit that wasn’t this embarrassing.
If I had searched carefully, there must have been something cheaper, but she, as a teacher, had to go this far to help her students.
She must be feeling that we were treating her too lightly.
“……”
We couldn’t even rest comfortably because of the tense atmosphere, as if we were sitting on pins and needles. We were just awkwardly exchanging glances with each other for no reason.
“Teacher, I’m sorry……”
I let out a sound of apology, albeit late.
“But you know, Sunah lost at rock-paper-scissor and did her part, so you too- Ouch!”
At that moment, Jinhee hit my knee from under the desk and I flinched in surprise.
[Special Ability Lip Reading has activated.]
[“You idiot, that’s not how you apologize to a woman.”]
“……”
The Teacher remained seated in silence, keeping her eyes and mouth tightly shut.
‘What do you want me to do then? I’m a veteran single.’
The only interpersonal relationships I’ve ever experienced were in an all-boys’ middle and high school.
I have no idea how to resolve a woman’s anger.
Other than my mom, I’ve never had a close conversation with any woman, and I’ve also never had a deep conversation with an adult.
There’s no way I could know how to apologize to a woman who was the intersection of those two.
“……”
After fumbling and swallowing my words, the one thing I finally managed to say was.
“Teacher, do you want… money?”
“… What?”
The Teacher, who had not responded to my apology until now, finally opened her mouth.
Her expression was a mixture of bewilderment and anger.
“… What did you say?”
“We decided to split the points as reward every time we solve a ghost story…”
“……”
“I, I’ll show you first. Here…”
I quickly opened the Store window and bought a bundle of money.
[♥ Children’s Piggy Bank with 50,000 Won Balance ♥ – 1 point]
[Purchase has completed.]
[Current Ghost Story Points: 175-1 = 174]
Gyeongwon quickly dashed out in the hallway and grabbed the bundle of money.
“Prez, here.”
“Oh, okay…..”.
I handed the bundle of money to the Teacher.
“This, take this…..”
“……!”
The Teacher’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the golden bundle of cash I held out.
“This, what is this……”
“… Take it.”
With a shocked expression on her face, the Teacher took the bundle of money I handed her.
“What, what is this… …?”
“This is the money I found somewhere… But it’s safe to use them.”
With a dazed expression, she slowly caressed the golden 50,000 won bills.
“There’s 100 bills in a bundle, and altogether, it’s 5 million won….”
“You, you… Where did you, a student, get this……”
“Just, well……”
I couldn’t explain everything in more detail, so I just gave a vague explanation.
“It was buried in a field, but the owner went to jail… It’s ownerless money.”
“Ah, that one. It was on the news not too long ago…”
The Teacher trembled as she swept her hand over the bundle of cash.
Then, suddenly, she looked at me with a worried expression.
“You’re not involved in anything dangerous, are you…?”
“No. The owner is in jail, and I only brought a small amount of money.”
Even though she must have been angry, as a kind and responsible adult, Teacher Jang Hwaeun showed concern for her students.
“Take it all. You worked the hardest today……”
“……”
The Teacher caressed the wad of money again.
I didn’t know how to appease an angry female adult.
All I knew was that, regardless of whether they are men or women, once they enter the society as an adult, people tend to be more lenient when it comes to matters involving money.
In the case for club members, it was the opposite, as they were still students, and felt embarrassed to receive the money I gave them.
Once they enter the society as an adult and understand the value of money, they would feel pleased if they are given sufficient compensation in the face of any kind of trouble.
“……”
The Teacher, holding the bundle of golden 5 million won in her hand, slapped her palms together.
Then, with a furrowed brow and a puzzled expression as if unsure how to react, the Teacher tilted her head.
“If it’s not enough, do you want more? Gyeongwon, go out right now……”
“No, no, it’s okay! It’s okay!”
Ignoring the teacher who hurriedly tried to stop me, Gyeongwon brought in one more bundle of cash that I had just bought.
“Hah! Really….”
The Teacher, who was given another wad of 5 million won, finally burst into laughter as she held 10 million won in her hand.
“I told you not to do that! Really……”
“If you want more…..”
“Stop it! I’m really going to scold you now!”
Finally, the atmosphere in the clubroom lightened as the Teacher shouted with a smile.
‘If the other person doesn’t accept the apology, let’s consider if it’s because I didn’t offer them enough money.’
“If you ask me to do this kind of thing again, I’ll ask them to change your club teacher! Got it?”
“Yes……”
“I’ll tell them to assign the Hanja teacher for your club. For real.”
The club members chuckled awkwardly at the Teacher’s words, laughing as if they were unsure how to react.
The Hanja teacher was more like a gossiping aunt than a teacher, who’s very interested in other people’s affairs.
With someone like that as our club teacher, there was no way we could function properly.
“Got it? I’m warning you especially, even if it means giving me all this money.”
As the club members giggled in the background, I waved my hand dismissively.
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. Please just let it slide once. If it weren’t for the Teacher, we would have all been in big trouble.”
“Yeah. And it’s not because of the money that I’m in a better mood. Got it? It’s because I’m just dumbfounded. Seriously…”
The Teacher must have been really surprised, she laughed again and picked up the wad of money.
It was the perfect bribe.
* * *
When we returned to the classroom for the closing ceremony, the homeroom teacher was excitedly recounting the event.
“Some crazy person entered the school today and smashed the mirror! I was just on my way down to the first floor to use the men’s restroom when it happened! I immediately shouted, ‘Hey! Who are you?!’ Then this guy, startled, started swinging a hammer at me. But, you know, I was in the Marine Corps! So I swiftly dodged and hit him with a side kick. That guy was like, ‘Ah~ I can’t win this!’ and quickly ran away in a panic…..”
‘What a joke.’
The members of our ghost story club secretly exchanged glances and laughed quietly.
As expected, the school had no idea that it was all our doing.
Even if they checked the CCTV, all they would find is the footage of a mysterious figure in a black latex suit suddenly entering, smashing the mirror with a hammer, and then escaping.
Since there were no CCTV cameras in the hallway or other areas, we could say we have committed a perfect crime.
‘But if it’s the Seven Mysteries of School……’
I recalled the name of the ghost story I had just solved earlier.
It was clearly a tag that said ‘Seven Mysterious of School’ with a ghost story underneath ‘① Mirror and Rock-Paper-Scissor.’
‘The ① means…… there are seven of these ghost stories in total.’
Still, I nodded to myself, thinking that if they could be dealt with so easily, it would be pretty good for farming points.
While the ghost stories sent by the Demon King that we encounter outside require me to almost risk my life just to uncover the origin, often without even knowing their name or history.
The ghost stories collected by the system were vastly different in that we already knew what they were about in advance.
‘Just as I thought, this Ghost Story Acquisition Skill is clearly meant for farming.’
Thanks to that, points were smoothly piling up again.
‘Status Window.’
Pop-
《Status Window
Name: Lee Joon
Age: 17
Title: Main Character
Disposition: Two-faced
Special ability:
1. Lip Reading [B-rank]
2. Life Design [C-rank]
3. Banality Manifestation [A-rank]
Quirk: Last Second Cramming》
[All three special ability slots have been obtained.]
[The abilities you acquire in the future will be stored in the System.]
[The stored abilities can be changed and equipped at any time in the clubroom.]
[Change Ability: (200) / Back]
‘… So from now on, 200 points are needed.’
The upper limit for each point consumption point is different, but once it reaches a certain threshold, they start demanding for more points in multiple.
In the case of the club, once I reached level 5, which unlocked the Store function, it started requiring 200 points from then on.
To level-up the members, the first time required 100 points, but starting from the 2nd level, it demanded 200 points.
‘And the requirement for these special abilities also changed to 200 points after I filled all three of them….’
As with any game, higher levels require more experience points, but I felt that the curve of the increase was steeper than I had expected.
‘I guess the leveling up system here might be different from a typical RPG game.’
In general online games, leveling up is simply the concept of increasing the number of stats, but here, a new interaction occurs with each level up.
‘….For the next points I get, I should probably acquire a new ability first. That Life Design ability is too redundant.’
“Don’t you know the spinning kick? Back in my day, we used to say ‘haisa’ and used it. Like this, shak, how’s that? Fast, right? You couldn’t even see it coming, right?”
While the homeroom teacher rambled on, I scribbled in my notebook, thinking about how to distribute the points, and ending another day at school.
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