[2019, May 13th | Monday, 06:42 AM]
[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts- 2]
Ghost Story Points: 173]
[Causality Rate: 30%]
“First years〜? You’re early to school〜”
As we passed through the front gate and entered, the security guard, who had been dozing off, woke up and greeted us with a smile.
“Hello……”
We bowed our heads in a greeting as we entered the schoolyard.
The night security guard still on duty seemed like a good person, at least based on the first impression.
“4th floor, Science Lab. That’s where we’re going right now. Let’s hurry.”
“Yeah.”
Soon, we passed the playground in the bluish dawn and entered the main building.
We entered the central entrance, where only one glass door was open, and took off our shoes.
Since it was early morning, only one fluorescent light near the entrance was on, creating a somewhat calm atmosphere.
In the corner, the mirror that Teacher Jang Hwaeun broke, which was the starting point of all of this, was placed with a restricted access tape around it.
“Let’s just drop off our stuff in the classroom and head up.”
“Okay.”
We carried our shoes and walked down the darkened hallway.
The spot where the body had been laid, covered with a white cloth, was now clean.
We soon arrived at our classroom, Class 3, Grade 1, but the door was locked, so we couldn’t go in yet.
“I think we have to go to the main faculty office on the second floor to get the attendance book. There should be a key there.”
“Hmm……”
Since I usually arrived around the middle of the pack, I never knew, but it seems like the students who get to the classroom first each day were the ones who brought the attendance book and unlocked the door.
I waved my hand once and started walking down the hallway again.
“Forget it. If it’s locked, let’s just leave our stuff in the clubroom. We need to check the urgent stuff first, so let’s head to the Science Lab.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
The club members followed me again as I climbed the stairs.
The faculty office on the second floor was completely dark, making it feel like we were really the first ones to arrive at school.
We soon arrived at the 4th floor.
Stopping in the empty hallway on the fourth floor, I looked around, and right in front of me, I could see the spacious Science Lab.
[Science Lab]
※ No unauthorized entry outside of class hours
※ For inquiries, contact the person in charge
Teacher Gwon Donghyun, Han Ari
010-xxxx-xxxx
On the person in charge section, the name of the former science teacher, who had died of a heart attack, was crossed out, and instead, the name of Teacher Han Ari was written.
The incident during the midterm exams and everything else, this place seemed to have a lot of connections to us.
“The front door is locked.”
“The back door too.”
“Check all the windows. Especially the ones at the top.”
The Science Lab’s windows have a structure where a small window is attached above a large one.
Just like when I sneaked into the school to hide money before, these small windows on the top would sometimes be open.
Click–
“Huh? This one’s open.”
But without even checking the small window at the top, the large window in the center slid open with a creak with a single push from Jinhee.
“Teacher Han Ari is not very careful.”
“Right……”
Of course, there are a few other science teachers at school, but the one who took charge of and managed the Science Lab, replacing the old teacher who had passed away, was Teacher Han Ari.
Since that old teacher had been the head among the science staff and in charge of this lab, it was only natural that Teacher Han Ari, who came in as his replacement, ended up taking over the Science Lab even though she was new.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yeah.”
Anyway, thanks to the careless mistake of our rookie teacher, we successfully made it into the Science Lab.
Grunting and struggling for a while, Sunah finally landed after climbing through the window, and we carefully looked around inside the Science Lab.
“Over there.”
“Ah.”
Soon, we found the human anatomy model at the back of the Science Lab.
We all gathered around the thing with no eyelids and open glaring eyes.
“It’s not moving?”
“Yeah, seems like it.”
A human anatomy model with detailed structures of each body part, some areas even had the skin peeled back to reveal the muscles underneath.
Seeing it like this in the darkened Science Lab made it all the more eerie.
‘Hard to believe Jinhee actually hit this thing for fun.’
The anatomy model stood there motionless, just as it always had, without any unusual movement.
I tapped its plastic shoulder just to test it out.
“Idiot, you gotta hit it harder than that to get a reaction.”
While I was lightly tapping it, Jinhee swung her arm wide next to me and smacked the back of the model’s head.
Thuck—!!
Immediately, the head of the anatomy model detached and rolled far away.
The impact caused plastic organs to pour out from its stomach.
“So, what do you think, President? Anything coming up?”
“…No, nothing’s coming up.”
I pondered for a moment.
It seems like simply having the head detached and plastic parts falling out wouldn’t be enough to defeat it, considering that in the previous time period, the anatomy model had already been active without those parts.
The ghost story pretending to be a detective had been walking around with Detective Jang Gihoon’s body parts in his body instead of his own parts from the beginning.
“…It seems like just detaching a few parts won’t be enough to defeat it.”
“Then?”
“Maybe……”
I recalled the scene where the Virgin Mary devoured the anatomy model.
“Everyone remember the monster breaking in through the window and eating this thing back then?”
“Yeah, roughly……”
Maybe it’s because it’s been replaced by a dream, their expressions looked like they were trying to recall something they really dreamed.
“Do you remember, Sunah?”
“Uhm……”
Sunah looked up thoughtfully, rolling her eyes.
“It’s been a while since I woke up… it’s a bit fuzzy, but yeah, I remember…”
“Back then, that woman bit and tore at the anatomy model until it was practically in shreds.”
“Yeah……”
“We probably have to damage it to that extent for it to really be defeated.”
The club members looked at me for a moment in silence.
Soon, Gyeongwon pushed his glasses and spoke.
“Well, we came prepared to break it, so that’s fine. But then, how are we going to deal with the aftermath?”
“Yeah, if we get caught, we’re screwed. I’ve been caught before so I know.”
Jinhee said as she shook the anatomy model.
She definitely had a point.
If the anatomy model were to be damaged here and now, the ones most likely to be suspected would, of course, be us, the Ghost Story Club, who arrived at school the earliest in a group.
“…Let’s take it to the clubroom for now. We’ll destroy it there, then buy an identical one from a Store and set it up again.”
“…As expected of the President.”
Gyeongwon pushed his glasses and smiled with satisfaction.
* * *
“Hurry, hurry.”
“Huff, huff……”
We exited the Science Lab once again through the window.
Gyeongwon waddled behind us, carrying the anatomy model, while Sunah toddled after him holding its head.
We quietly entered the clubroom on the next floor.
“Nobody saw us, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Be careful. The teachers are starting to arrive.”
I kept an eye out, watching a few cars enter the schoolyard as morning came.
And I quickly gave instructions to the club members.
“Jinhee and Sunah, you will break the model here. In the meantime, Gyeongwon and Hayoon will sneak in the new anatomy model that I’ll buy.”
“What about you, Prez?”
“I’ll keep an eye on you all to make sure you’re doing it right.”
Saying that, I opened the Store window and quickly started searching for an anatomy model.
[Bisexual Full-Body Muscle Model (Actual Human Size) – 583 points]
‘…What the hell, that’s crazy. It’s more expensive than I thought?’
I glanced over the anatomy model that Jinhee was stepping on.
It seemed that models like this, which displayed even the muscles, were indeed quite expensive.
‘I thought it would just be a cheap plastic model, but why is it so expensive…’
I frowned as I watched Jinhee rummaging through the model’s stomach with her stockings covered feet.
A B-rank anatomy model ghost story.
This guy was expensive.
‘… Maybe there is a cheaper one that looks similar.’
I searched through the Store window again, and this time, I was able to find a slightly cheaper one.
[Full-Body Anatomy Model / Educational Tool 6219 – 45 points]
The details of the muscles and parts weren’t as intricate, but the appearance was similar.
‘…Damn, but this is a loss.’
The anatomy model in front of me was, as confirmed in the previous timeline, a B-rank ghost story.
The points gained from defeating a B-rank ghost story were around 80, which wasn’t much.
If I end up spending 45 points just to defeat it, it would almost feel like a loss considering all the effort put in.
‘…Don’t make me laugh. Why would I buy this expensive thing for someone else?’
Cheaper. Even cheaper.
I quickly scrolled down the Store window again.
Anyway, Teacher Han Ari had only recently arrived and was too busy adjusting, so she wouldn’t notice if it changed.
And to the students, the anatomy model was nothing more than a punching bag, no one really paid serious attention to it.
‘Honestly, stuff like this is way more useful knowledge than something like constant accelerated motion.’
Constant accelerated motion, in the end, was only useful as the name of a move Jinhee shouted when bullying boys.
But learning about the structure of the body through an anatomy model relates directly to our own physical selves, what we’re breathing and living in right now, so it’s far more useful in daily life.
And yet, in both my previous and current lives, I haven’t seen a single teacher actually making good use of this anatomy model.
The anatomy model always ends up as nothing more than a dust-covered mascot of the Science Lab.
‘So in conclusion, even if I replace it with a cheap one, there’s no need to feel guilty about it.’
[Male Full-Body Mannequin – 8 points]
[Would you like to purchase it?]
I casually picked out a cheap mannequin
and pressed the purchase button.
Click.
[Purchase completed.]
[Current Ghost Story Points: 173 – 8 = 165]
At the same time, I heard the sound of something falling on the hallway, followed by footsteps.
Gyeongwon quickly went out and brought the item.
“Prez, here. But this… is just a regular mannequin?”
“The key part of the anatomy model that people focus on is the organs anyway. As long as we keep that part and swap out the rest, no one will notice.”
Soon, after tearing off the plastic from the mannequin that Gyeongwon brought, I quickly twisted the arms and legs and separated them.
I tossed aside the mannequin’s chest, then moved over to where Jinhee and Sunah were diligently breaking the anatomy model to grab its chest.
“Just break the arms and head. I’ve got a use for the torso.”
I quickly grabbed the upper half of the anatomy model, lowering my head and dodging the two girls’ kicks.
I quickly retrieved the duct tape I had bought when I went to space from under the sofa and used it to connect the mannequin’s arms and legs together.
This way, I could destroy the arms, legs and head while easily removing the torso with the organs inside, allowing me to create a new replacement cheaply.
Our 5 million won anatomy model.
It was replaced with parts from an 80,000 won mannequin.
‘School officials, do you have any complaints?’
Please come to the clubroom on the 5th floor.
Yoon Sunah will personally welcome you with a stab.
‘I have experienced that so I know.’
“Alright, it’s done.”
“Huu.”
We straightened the mannequin up, with the upper torso swapped and taped together.
“Looks pretty convincing, doesn’t it, Prez?”
“Right?”
The cheap plastic limbs with a foolish face, our newly created anatomy model.
Just like how this thing, pretending to be Detective Jang Gihoon, took all the parts and left only the shell behind, this time, I took the parts from the anatomy model, leaving only the shell, and set it up pretending it’s the real thing.
This is the true pinnacle of part-swapping mastery.
This was probably the best piece of revenge I could offer to this ghost story.
“Huu, huu!”
“Huff, huff!”
Jinhee must have felt the need to use a tool, so she quickly grabbed the baseball bat and smashed the head of the anatomy model.
Sunah swung the remaining limbs like weapons, smashing them recklessly onto the desk.
Thud-thud- thud-thud-
As they crushed it to the point of pulverizing, a message suddenly popped up.
Pop–
[You have come across and survived a B-rank ghost story – 7 Mysteries of the School ② ‘Human Anatomy Model’ in the Science Lab.]
[You have earned 15 ghost story points.]
[You have succeeded in destroying the human anatomy model before it even started moving!]
[You have earned 70 ghost story points.]
[You will earn 10% bonus points for each contributing member.]
[Contributing members (4 members): Ahn Gyeongwon, Yoon Sunah, Lee Jinhee, In Hayoon]
[You have earned an additional 40% bonus point on the total earned 85 points, 35 points]
[Current Ghost Story Points: 165 + 85 + 34]
Ding~♬
[Current Ghost Story Points: 284]
“Good. It says it’s been dealt with. Now let’s hurry and place this new masterpiece back in the Science Lab, and we’re done.”
“Leave it to us.”
Soon, Gyeongwon and Hayoon quickly grabbed the mannequin and hurried out of the clubroom.
At the same time, Jinhee and Sunah wiped their sweat and turned to look at me.
“It’s been defeated?”
“Yeah, it says we defeated it.”
“Really?”
Jinhee casually tossed the baseball bat into a corner.
Sunah also sat down and let out a sigh, wiping the sweat from her brow.
“Kinda anticlimactic, huh? Hard to believe this was the thing pretending to be a person in the previous timeline.”
“Well, the message popped up, so it’s definitely done.”
“Still, kinda disappointing it didn’t react at all……”
“I agree with that.”
I thought it would beg us to stop, but the anatomy model didn’t show a single reaction until the very end.
That was probably because it wasn’t a real person, but a being summoned by the Demon King’s power.
It was likely because it was more like an NPC, existing only to carry out a predetermined role in this world.
Just like how some ghosts were once human, others had never been human to begin with.
There are also beings that only appear in ghost stories, which are better called ‘demons’ in the literal sense.
