Ch.145145 – Coward

# 145 – Coward

I also discovered that the monster running the shop is called “Wiggly.”

It didn’t seem like particularly important information.

“Since I paid 100P, this secret door should open now.”

The thread connected to Yang Juhui’s uniform was pointing to this wall.

Thinking that even something small could be a clue, I pulled on the door handle of the wall.

Click, creak-

“Oh, it’s opening.”

When I entered, there was a narrow path that would be just enough for one person to squeeze through.

I called it a path, but more accurately, it was like an extension of the shop.

In fact, there were items with price tags lined up on both sides.

Those items were extremely bizarre and expensive.

“Water Ghost’s Swimsuit: Allows you to breathe underwater. 500P”

“Complete Score of the Suicide Symphony: If you perfectly perform this score, you can completely banish any ghost. 1,000P”

“Science Lab Fireworks: Fireworks that can be used in the science lab. Can break all the mirrors on the second floor. 1,000P”

“Persimmon Stick: An item used to knock down persimmons from high branches. Good for knocking down ghosts or objects stuck to the ceiling. 1,000P”

“Wiggly’s Tail: A wiggly tail. Premium item. When purchased, all shop items are discounted by half. 50,000P”

Oh, shit.

Every single one made me want to buy it, but the purchase points were all at least four digits.

What the hell is Wiggly’s tail that it costs 50,000P?

Is it even possible to collect 50,000 points?

“Gun: It’s a gun. Bullets sold separately. 5000P”

There was also an item identical to the gun we had acquired.

So it was originally a 5000P item.

If we couldn’t have found the vortex key… does that mean we would have had to collect 5000P just to acquire a gun? Thinking about it that way, the key I received from Mr. Kang Bada seemed amazing.

Just then, Yang Juhui shouted, “Ah!”

“What? Did you see something wiggly again?”

I’d heard the saying that curiosity killed the cat.

Yang Juhui was completely a curious cat, so I was worried.

To be more precise, she was closer to a puma or leopard than a cat.

“No! Something round! Look at that! That! Look at that!”

There really was something round where Yang Juhui was pointing.

It was about the size of a volleyball, but what made it different from a ball was that it had eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

“That’s Seyeon unnie! Bong Seyeon! Bong Jiyeon unnie’s sister!”

Is that real?

I’d heard that Bong Jiyeon’s sister Bong Seyeon still hadn’t found her head.

To think that head was in a place like this.

“Someone’s Lost Head: A head someone lost. Using a special method, you might be able to hear an interesting story. 1000P”

Expensive.

Ms. Hong Miri, who was watching this scene while aiming her gun, also commented.

“Ugh, what is that? It’s scary. How can something like that exist? It looks like it might open its eyes any moment.”

She seemed scared seeing another head, even though she herself had once been reduced to just a head.

Come to think of it, Ms. Hong Miri’s head was probably scarier…

Of course, I couldn’t say that.

After contemplating what to do, I chose to continue walking through this secret passage.

As we walked, we eventually reached a dead end.

Yang Juhui also said she couldn’t see any more red threads.

“It seems like we need to buy that head.”

Bong Seyeon’s head.

I was curious about being able to hear an interesting story through a special method.

The problem was that I only had 160P right now.

# # #

After returning to the shop, I pondered various ways to earn points.

My plan was to sell items we had to earn 1,000P and buy Bong Seyeon’s head.

For reference, here’s the list of items we had:

Yang Juhui: Uniform, Zippo lighter, Escape talisman

Me: Vortex key, Escape talisman x5

Hong Miri: Camera, Escape talisman, Gun

Yu Dahui: Paper crane, Escape talisman

Should I sell some escape talismans?

We currently had 7 escape talismans.

With that thought, I placed one escape talisman on the shop’s counter.

“Would you like to sell this item? Once sold, you will permanently lose the item.”

“Yes/No”

“They don’t show the price, so it’s hard to just sell it. Considering all the trouble we went through to get these talismans, it’s probably better to have more of them.”

What else could we sell?

My camera?

Honestly, this camera was an extremely helpful item, so I was reluctant to sell it.

Then what about the “Vortex Key” I received from Mr. Kang Bada? Since we had acquired the gun, it might no longer be useful.

But what if there was another vortex box somewhere on this third floor? Then we would need the key…

“Should we bring back the arm that the spider woman dropped? That might sell for something.”

Yang Juhui brought up an interesting idea.

There was a time when Yang Juhui had stabbed the Gandara shaman’s shoulder with a box cutter, and the Gandara shaman had dropped an arm and fled.

I had completely forgotten about that arm, but it seemed Yang Juhui remembered it well.

Soon, Ms. Hong Miri, holding the gun, said:

“It’s not far from here, so I’ll go get it quickly.”

Having Ms. Hong Miri with the gun seemed reassuring in many ways.

That gun was a 5,000P item, so it should be effective against the monsters on the third floor.

If not, that would be a scam.

“I’ll go too.”

Yang Juhui also decided to go with Ms. Hong Miri.

She seemed to have some confidence.

“Ever since I was in that box in the school basement, I feel like I understand something about this temple. If I’m with you, the ghosts won’t dare to attack recklessly.”

“Alright. Then you two wait here. We’ll be back soon.”

Ms. Hong Miri and Yang Juhui left the shop.

Only Dahui and I remained.

Dahui still looked depressed.

“Dahui, what’s wrong? You look upset.”

“I don’t know.”

Dahui’s uniform, as she sat in front of the bonfire, was stained with red blood.

It was blood that had splattered when she hit Kim Geonho earlier.

I wondered if that incident had caused her change in mood.

“Come closer and let me whisper something.”

Dahui gestured to me.

I approached the bonfire and leaned in to listen.

Then Dahui brought her lips close to my ear and—

Chomp.

She bit my ear.

“Ouch!”

I was really startled by the sudden bite.

Dahui laughed, “Puhehe,” at my reaction.

……

I was glad that the depressed Dahui seemed to have found her mood again.

As I was rubbing my ear, Dahui said:

“I was thinking about what wish I should ask for when we reach the fourth floor.”

“What kind of wish do you want to make?”

“I don’t know. In the past, there were many things I wanted to do and have, but these days, I don’t really have anything specific. Just a feeling that things aren’t so bad right now?”

“Right now?”

“Strange, isn’t it? We’ve met so many scary ghosts and gone through so many life-threatening situations. But I feel more alive now than I ever have before.”

“I understand how you feel. These kinds of experiences are rare, so it makes your heart race. When it’s all over, will life seem boring?”

“Maybe.”

Dahui nodded as if she understood.

She now sat with her knees up, hugging them with both arms.

“Time passes so quickly. It feels like it was just recently that Yeongwon met you in the library. At that time, I could tell at a glance. That you were Yeongwon. You were tall and wearing a uniform.”

“Really? I didn’t recognize you.”

“Because I’ve become too pretty?”

The sudden direct question left me dazed.

I didn’t know how to respond here.

High school girls were still like ghosts to me—mysterious beings.

“Why aren’t you answering! I’m disappointed! You should say yes right away!”

“Yes!”

“I can’t feel any emotion in that.”

“No, Dahui, you are pretty!”

Ugh, what am I saying right now?

My face felt hot, as if the bonfire’s heat had increased.

“Then who’s prettier, me or Juhui? Me or Sua? Me or Ms. Hong Miri?”

The barrage of questions left me bewildered.

Today’s Dahui was a bit different from usual.

“Why aren’t you answering!”

“Beauty is highly subjective. And I’ve never compared who’s prettier, so I can’t immediately answer when you ask.”

“Do you think that’s what I wanted to hear?”

“…No.”

“Then if you had to choose just one person? If someday you could only save one of us, who would you save? You only have 10 seconds. Yeongwon, you must choose. 10, 9—”

8—.

7—.

Time was running out.

I knew what answer Dahui wanted.

She wanted me to say Yu Dahui.

This was a question with a predetermined answer.

If I closed my eyes and said Dahui’s name, I might get through this moment of crisis.

But what if a time really came when I had to choose just one of us?

There was no guarantee such a thing wouldn’t happen in the future.

“Time’s up! Because of you, Yeongwon, we all ended up dead!”

“Dahui, that’s too harsh a question.”

“You’re the harsh one. How could you not say my name?”

Pluck—.

Dahui reached out and pulled one of my hairs.

Then she looked at it and giggled.

“I heard from Mrs. Danvers that my mother was the daughter of a family of shamans that had been passed down for generations. I might have talent too. So I’m going to put a curse on you, Yeongwon.”

“Gack, why!”

Since it was Dahui saying it, it didn’t sound like a joke.

Dahui really seemed like she could do something like a curse.

Shuffle—.

Dahui slowly crawled toward me.

“This is a truly terrifying curse. Yeongwon, from now on, wherever you are, whatever place you’re in, you’ll think of me, and you won’t be able to forget about me.”

Dahui’s face was suddenly right in front of me.

I could feel her breath.

Dahui had big eyes and long eyelashes.

Her face was white, and she had nice hair.

If a girl like this put a curse on me, I would truly become her prisoner.

“When the time for choice comes, you don’t have to choose me. No matter what you do, I won’t hate you. For me, Yeongwon, you’ll always be first.”

“First… even more than yourself?”

“Yes. Probably.”

“I don’t like that.”

Dahui would die for me.

She actually had before.

I didn’t like that.

Sensing my feelings, Dahui said:

“Then convince me.”

“…How?”

“Figure it out yourself.”

Figure it out myself—.

I thought hard and raised my hand.

Then I gently patted Dahui’s head.

“…How’s that?”

“Coward.”

Swish—.

Dahui’s eyes came closer.

And just as I felt her breath on my nose, something soft touched my lips with a smooch.

My face burned.

It felt like my mind was spreading in strange colors like a Van Gogh painting.

To think Dahui would kiss me.

This was my first kiss.

I’ll probably never forget it for the rest of my life.

BANG!

Just then, there was a loud noise that was almost deafening.

It was a sound I’d never heard before, but it was probably a gunshot.

I jumped to my feet, trying to shake off the extremely awkward and embarrassing feeling.

“L-let’s go check! Something must have happened to Ms. Hong Miri!”