GSC: Chapter 142-Sixteenth Ghost Story – The Mysterious 4th Period (6)

[2019, May 13th | Monday, 12:55 PM]

[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts – 2]

[Ghost Story Points: 173]

[Causality Rate: 22%]

After having the delicious duck bulgogi mixed with rice, I happened to see our Vice Class President and Joo Yeseul heading to clear their trays from behind us.

“Okay, let’s get up and go.”

I also moved to empty my tray with Hayoon and Jinhee.

I looked at the two female students walking ahead, and asked Hayoon and Jinhee who were walking on either side of me.

“Have you ever talked to them?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“No.”

The delinquent girl and the iron-clad girl shook their heads as if it were obvious.

“Jinhee, you moved with the Vice Class President earlier, and Hayoon, you went with Joo Yeseul, right? You didn’t talk at all on your way there?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Mm.”

I let out a sigh as I watched them nonchalantly answering and scraping their trays into the food waste bin.

‘At least have a conversation with your classmates normally… Please, really.’

No, I guess that’s the same for me as well.

I didn’t really have any close friends in our class, except for the members of the club.

* * *

“Then, Prez, we’re going to class.”

“Joony, see you later…”

As we left the cafeteria and entered the main building, we split into two groups.

Gyeongwon looked back at me one last time and advised me again.

“Do you understand, Prez? We’ll be keeping an eye on the sky changing strangely outside as much as possible, so solve the case as quickly as possible and join us. I’m more worried about the disaster outside than the crime inside the school.”

“Alright, got it. I’ll leave it to you.”

After bidding farewells, the six of us split off in different directions.

Sunah, Gyeongwon, and Dukhun headed towards our classroom on the first floor to attend their classes.

Jinhee, Hayoon, and I, as instructed, headed back to the broadcasting room on the second floor.

“……”

The members on this side didn’t talk at all while we were walking.

Jinhee still had a blunt expression, and Hayoon’s face remained as calm as ever.

‘Haa! Isn’t this awkward?’

We soon climbed the stairs and arrived on the second floor.

When we entered the broadcasting room, we saw Vice Class President Chaerin and Joo Yeseul were already sitting there and playing with their phones.

“… The detective hasn’t come yet?”

Hayoon and Jinhee pretended not to hear me mumbling and went to their respective seats.

Soon, they both, too, took out their phones with indifferent expressions and started fiddling with them.

I stretched out my hand into the air and muttered to myself.

“I see. Looks like he hasn’t come yet.”

After a moment of waiting, the door to the main faculty office, which was connected to the broadcasting room, opened, and the young detective from earlier walked out with the Vice Principal.

“This is all the footage, right? Seriously, what is this…?”

“Yeah, the angle is really precise.”

The young detective and the strict-looking female Vice Principal soon entered the broadcasting room and looked around at the five of us.

After a moment, the detective opened his lips and spoke.

“The four of you girls can return to your classroom.”

“…..!”

At that moment, my heart sank.

‘And me?’

“Student Lee Joon, you’ll need to come with me to the police station.”

“……”

I bit my lips and asked.

“… Why?”

“You lied.”

At the detective’s calm response, everyone’s gaze shifted toward me.

“I didn’t….”

“You didn’t go to the bathroom, did you?”

“……”

“Grab your bag and come to the parking lot.”

“Wait, just a moment!”

I quickly stood up from my seat and faced the detective as he turned to leave.

“What, on what grounds…?”

“You didn’t go. To the bathroom.”

“……”

The detective answered curtly and turned back.

The strict-looking female Vice Principal, who was standing next to him, merely shot me a glare. But seeing that her student was being taken to the police station for questioning, she didn’t seem to show any sign of interfering.

That was understandable, considering that the Vice Principal was part of that religious organization that wanted to kill me.

She probably didn’t care much about what would happen to me.

She may even enjoy my misery.

“……”

As I clenched my shaking fists and lowered my head.

“No, f*ck. That’s a real bother.”

Someone suddenly started swearing.

“What the hell, if you’re taking someone, at least explain things. What’s with this lack of manners?”

A tone filled with annoyance, accompanied by a scoff.

I raised my head again.

All of our eyes turn to Jinhee.

“… What?”

The detective turned his head, and the Vice Principal glared at her with a frown.

But Jinhee being her, just sat there with her legs crossed, playfully shaking her three-striped slippers.

“You’re so rude. I really don’t like the way you’re doing things.”

“Hey, you!”

The Vice Principal immediately stepped forward and snapped at Jinhee.

“Is this how you behave!”

“Uh-huh~”

The Vice Principal’s face gradually turned red as she glared at Jinhee, who was resting her chin on her hand and nodding.

Just as the Vice Principal Jang Yeuk, a middle aged woman with pointy glasses and scrawny body was about to launch into a harsh scolding toward Jinhee.

The young detective stepped forward and stopped the Vice Principal.

“Uh, please calm down. I’ll explain and send the kids back, so you can go back and handle your work now.”

“… You.”

The Vice Principal glared at Jinhee with a flushed face.

Immediately after, she changed her expression and bowed her head toward the detective.

“I’m sorry, she’s a bit of a problem when it comes to outsiders…”

“……”

Jinhee watched the scene with a cold expression.

The detective pushed the Vice Principal with a face as if it’s not a big deal.

It seemed like he just wanted her to leave quickly.

“Please go ahead, I’ll explain things to the kids properly.”

“Yes, yes, thank you for your hard work…”

The scrawny Vice Principal left with a fake smile, as a typical member of the corporate world.

As soon as she left, the detective closed the door and then quickly looked around at us again.

“Just to be sure, there was a student who I think gave insufficient explanation. As you know, I checked the CCTV while you were having lunch.”

“……”

“The other four female students’ actions were all exactly recorded as per their statements, but in the case of male student Lee Joon, there was no clue. That’s why I’m taking him to the police station for further investigation, and the rest of you can return to your classroom now.”

“Which cameras?”

Jinhee asked, still resting her chin on her palm.

“Which cameras did you check?”

“… What?”

“There’s only one camera in the main building, right in front of the central entrance.”

“… You’re mistaken. There are a few more.”

“Really?”

Jinhee responded indifferently.

When we broke the school mirror on Friday, there was only one camera in the entrance.

However, according to the official notice posted this morning, they said they installed a few more cameras to strengthen security after Teacher Jang Hwaeun’s latex riot.

Did they confirm our statements by checking at the movement of those additional cameras?

Just as I thought that, the detective continued to explain that part.

“In addition to the existing CCTV in the entrance, the school recently installed additional ones, and the additional cameras were installed at the east and west entrances of the main building. Are there any objections now?”

“……”

The students remained silent for a moment.

Certainly, if there had been CCTV cameras installed at the east entrance, the scene of the female students coming in and out to attend the consultation session would have been recorded clearly.

And the detective must have confirmed that there was no trace of me going to the bathroom.

Because I had never entered the main building itself.

“……”

I looked at Jinhee who helped me, but Jinhee was holding her chin with a bored expression.

It seemed that she didn’t interfere before to defend me, but rather because she was just genuinely annoyed by the detective who was moving us around without any explanation.

[Your understanding of the character Lee Jinhee has increased by 5.]

“Then that’s it. Stand up, everyone. You, go and get your bag.”

The detective deliberately pointed at me.

The four female students, excluding me, hesitantly stood up, brushing off their seats.

I muttered in a small voice.

“… I object.”

“What?”

The young detective turned his head again.

He glared at me with a slightly annoyed expression.

“Come again.”

“… You asked me if I had any objections. I have an objection.”

“You can make your objection at the police station. I’ll kindly listen to it there.”

“…I don’t want to. I’ll do it here.”

“If you were going to do it here, you should have told me earlier. What are you holding out for after getting caught in a lie? Go quickly and grab your bag.”

“No.”

“Hey, you.”

He opened his eyes and glared at me.

“I said I’ll listen to you after taking you to the police station. I promise I’ll listen, so go quickly.”

“I said I don’t want to. I’ll do it here.”

“…There are many parts you haven’t explained properly. If you’re going to explain, you should explain everything.”

His expression soon crumpled.

“What more now? What are you going to do if you don’t want to?”

“Then I won’t go.”

“Then I’ll just arrest you.”

The detective suddenly strode toward me.

He pushed past Chaerin and Yeseul and violently grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me to my feet.

“Stand up!”

“Let me go, you assh*le!”

I roughly shook off his arm.

“Is that what the law says, you motherf*cker? If you want to arrest me, get a warrant first!”

“What the f*ck……?”

The detective chuckled in disbelief.

“Can you believe this ridiculous guy?”

“Hayoon, record this!”

As if she had been waiting for this moment, Hayoon immediately took out her pink smartphone and started recording.

Beep.

“……”

The detective stared at the phone in disbelief.

“…What do you think you guys are doing?”

“As you can see.”

I roughly shook off the detective’s grip on my arm once again and glared at him.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Just because you tell me to follow you to the police station, I’ll obediently follow you there?”

“….No one would think I’m unfairly holding someone. You’re the one who lied first, didn’t you?”

“Doesn’t matter, you can’t take me without a warrant.”

“Wow, you c*nt, you really……”

The detective laughed in disbelief.

I pointed at Hayoon’s smartphone.

“Guys, did you just see? This detective just cursed at me?”

“…Who cursed at you?”

“I just called me c*nt.”

Then, he took a threatening step forward.

“Yeah, I did it, you p*nk. I cursed at the prime suspect in a murder case who also gave false testimony. What are you gonna do about it?”

“I’ll file a petition with the National Petition Board.”

“…What?”

I crossed my arms.

“I’ll say that you threatened a minor high school student during your investigation and tried to arrest me without a warrant. I’ll edit this video in a way that makes it look suspicious, upload it to YouTube, and spread it all over the internet.”

“……”

Only then did the detective’s expression turn sour.

That’s right.

I’m a minor.

And I was dragged out of the class while it was ongoing.

“You know you’re being unreasonable, right? Who gets dragged to the police station for something like this? You could just listen to me one more time here. Hmm?”

“……”

“It looks like you’re trying to frame me on purpose. But it’s not going to go the way you want.”

I gave him a stern look as he frowned.

Of course, I was not sure what this detective actually intended to do to me, but I was warning him just in case he was in cahoots with the teachers from that organization.

The young detective let out a sigh.

“What do you mean trying to frame you?”

“……”

“Could you just come with me? It’s just that I feel it’s bothersome to continue the investigation here while the kids are studying.”

“I don’t want to.”

“……”

He tried to persuade me gently, but I firmly refused again.

‘I would never follow along knowing what will happen if I go with him.’

For me, the school as a place, the school uniform as clothes, and my identity as a student were a kind of social protection.

I could never allow myself to be dragged alone to a place I don’t know.

Even if I have to be interrogated, I’ll do it right here, in this place where my club members will protect and watch over me.

“…Hoo, okay. Then we won’t go to the police station.”

He glared at me for a moment, then put his hand on his waist and declared.

“But even so, you must stay here and undergo further investigation. Why? First, you have no alibi. Second, you are the only male. Third, false statement.”

“…. As I said, I’m ready to undergo more investigation. But before that, please explain everything to everyone here.”

I tried my best to avoid ending up alone, and made sure to phrase things in a way that would allow the other students to be brought in with me.

“First, where and how far does the CCTV footage cover? Second, who is the victim? Third, what did you mean when you said the angle of the footage was precise when you left the faculty office earlier?”

“……”

The detective lifted his chin and looked down at me.

“What would happen if I explained that to you? Do you want to try solving it yourself?”

“Instead of the detective going after the wrong person, I think it’s better for me to listen and make my own judgment.”

“This friend of yours must watch a lot of anime.”

He pointed at me with his finger and asked Jinhee.

“Right? Does this friend usually watch a lot of anime?”

“Don’t force me to cut your finger off.”

“……”

However, Jinhee’s harsh response only made his expression crumple.