Ch.193193 – The Labyrinth Called School 2

# 193 – The School Labyrinth # 2

Kang Mandeuk, the school security guard, was a man who had risen to the rank of colonel in Pohang.

Although he failed to earn his stars, he was living a fulfilling second life as the security guard protecting the students of Yeongji High School. He even found satisfaction in closely watching over the growing young sprouts.

‘These past few days, there’s been talk of students disappearing and even being kidnapped. I don’t know who’s behind it, but if I catch them, they’re dead meat.’

Kang Mandeuk never shirked from patrolling the high school buildings at night to maintain a proper learning environment for the students. He had voluntarily taken on overnight security duties this spring. He prided himself on being the bravest man in Korea and felt genuine pride in this fact.

Creak, creak-. Drip, drip-.

But even for Security Guard Kang Mandeuk, there was something about the Yeongji High building that made his skin crawl with its desolate and eerie corners.

Perhaps it was because he’d heard students gossiping that this place used to be a cemetery or that it was built on a water vein, but he could strongly feel the negative energy.

“Who’s there!”

Kang Mandeuk turned his flashlight to maximum brightness and entered the men’s restroom.

He frowned at the sight of the running faucet.

“What’s this? Who left the water running? Wasting water in a water-scarce country.”

Though angry, he felt relieved inside.

Despite priding himself as a ghost-hunting marine, Kang Mandeuk had been feeling intimidated by the recent incidents.

He didn’t want to admit that he was scared.

He was a conservative man from Gyeongsang Province who valued masculinity and had been a soldier. He was patrolling this scary school deliberately to prove his manhood.

As Kang Mandeuk was inspecting the first-year classrooms and corridors, which were rumored to be the most haunted, his flashlight illuminated the stairway. A woman with long hair wearing white clothes was coming down the stairs upside down.

“Crunch-crunch-.”

The gleam in her eyes visible through her hair was unlike that of a human. It resembled that of a beast he had occasionally seen in the bushes at night during his military service.

“W-who’s there! If you’re a ghost, get lost! Our marines who catch ghosts, who can stand against us when we dig into enemy territory! Waves, bring us the joy of victory—”

Kang Mandeuk deliberately sang the marine corps anthem loudly. But about half of it was off-beat and off-key. By the end, it was barely more than a mumble that couldn’t even be called singing.

“D-don’t come closer! Stay away!”

Kang Mandeuk pulled out the cross and prayer beads his wife had given him.

But no matter what he produced, the crazed woman paid no attention.

“Keugeugeugeugeu, raaaaaah-.”

Finally, after crawling all the way down the stairs, the woman began to dance strangely, waving her arms wildly from side to side. Kang Mandeuk felt his brain twisting with an indescribable sensation.

“Aaaah~!”

As if taking his scream as a signal, the woman assumed a bridge position.

Then she began approaching Kang Mandeuk at an insane speed—dududududu—and Kang Mandeuk was so startled that he threw his lantern and ran.

“Huaaaaaaa!”

Kang Mandeuk was confident in his running abilities.

Even now, he regularly achieved significant results in senior marathon competitions.

But the woman in her strange posture was running down the corridor faster than Kang Mandeuk at full speed.

The woman eventually caught up with Kang Mandeuk, brushed past him, and the former soldier collapsed on the spot. That was beyond what any human could do.

“G-ghost…!”

Kang Mandeuk wet himself and fainted.

Jeongseok, who had been watching the scene while hiding, expressed great admiration.

“Juhui, you’re exactly like a ghost.”

“…This has to remain a secret from Ha Yeongwon.”

Yang Juhui felt embarrassed about appearing in such a bizarre form.

She also thought it was fortunate that Ha Yeongwon wasn’t here.

However, watching Yang Juhui, Yu Dahui clicked her tongue.

“…I could have done better. Hurukuruhoo.”

# # #

Word spread among the students that the school security guard and Teacher Kang Haneul had not come to work.

Although the school administration had strictly enforced secrecy at the internal meeting to maintain a proper academic environment, someone had leaked the information.

There’s a ghost in the school—.

It sounded like something someone would say as a joke, but by this point, no one could laugh it off lightly.

Fatigue, tension, and fear began to show in the students’ eyes, and the number of students claiming to have seen ghosts or having nightmares continued to increase.

“What about performing an exorcism ritual?”

When the elderly grade head teacher spoke up, all the teachers were shocked.

No matter what, performing an exorcism at school?

If they did such a thing, everyone in the neighborhood would be talking about problems at the school.

“We can’t keep hiding this forever. Five female students have gone missing. The number of students refusing to attend school is increasing! Three teachers, including Teacher Kang Haneul, are refusing to come to work! And Kang Mandeuk has locked himself in his room!”

Beads of sweat formed on the grade head’s partially bald head.

He was someone who had worked for the Yeongji Foundation for a long time.

“I’ll speak with the chairman about this.”

Holding an exorcism ritual at school to drive away ghosts was unprecedented in many ways. It would clearly disrupt the academic environment and would undoubtedly generate more negative rumors about the school.

But it was also true that there was no way to prevent the unfortunate incidents that kept occurring in less than a month.

Finally, on Saturday, a day off, an exorcism ritual involving the slaughtering of a pig was held on the Yeongji High School playground, and somehow students heard about it and came to watch.

Jingle jingle jingle-.

Shamans riding knife blades while shaking bells.

They were quite renowned shamans, sister shamans who performed rituals together.

“Aryeong, get ready.”

“Sister, I feel strange.”

Kim Miryeong and her younger sister Kim Aryeong.

They were shamans who were rumored to be visited by powerful Seoul politicians during election seasons. The effect would certainly be significant in many ways. As they noisily performed the ritual, some people clicked their tongues.

“Still relying on such superstitions.”

“Typical backward Yeongji High level.”

It was mainly the cynical male students.

They filmed the ritual to post online, feeling it represented the decline of the nation, but when the filming became boring as time passed, something unusual happened.

“I keep hearing a voice in my ears! Who is Ha Yeongwon? Ha Yeongwon! Sisteeeeer!”

“Aryeong, what’s wrong! Aryeong!”

“I can hear the voice even when I cover my ears! Who is Ha Yeongwon!”

Kim Aryeong felt like she was going crazy from someone continuously murmuring the name Ha Yeongwon in her mind. She could hear it even when she covered her ears and closed her eyes.

“I can’t do this anymore! It says I need to find Ha Yeongwon! I hear a voice in my head! Who is Ha Yeongwon! Aaaah! Aaaaaaah! It’s so loud!”

Pop-!

Kim Aryeong finally couldn’t withstand the telepathic attack and fled.

Seeing her sister’s escape, Kim Miryeong was flustered by the ritual in progress and the people’s gazes.

‘What’s wrong with her? What does she mean something’s speaking to her? We didn’t agree on such a deception.’

The Kim Miryeong and Kim Aryeong sisters were shamans, but they were swindlers.

Where in the world do ghosts exist? They just said plausible things in a convincing way, and people gave them money. At least, that’s what Kim Miryeong thought.

Her younger sister Kim Aryeong actually believed ghosts existed.

Seeing Kim Aryeong so frightened and running away, it seemed like there really was something at Yeongji High School.

‘Am I being punished by heaven?’

Kim Miryeong, who had made a living selling ghost stories, was suddenly afraid of divine punishment. It was similar to how guilty people become more frightened on days with thunder and lightning.

“I can’t continue either.”

In the end, Kim Miryeong and Kim Aryeong ran away.

Everyone was confused by the unexpected cancellation of the ritual.

The students and teachers who had come to watch were filled with confusion. Who was Ha Yeongwon? Was there such a student? Check the yearbooks—such conversations were exchanged.

“I think it’s about time to call.”

Jeongseok raised his phone.

He selected a name from his contacts and pressed the call button, hearing the familiar dial tone.

# # #

“Sua, congratulations on your dome concert!”

“Now our Dorangmul Girlz are Korea’s number one girl group!”

After finishing her performance, Kwon Sua received flowers and gifts from fans and managers before heading to her private waiting room. Sweat was pouring down and her energy was depleted.

She felt mentally drained.

Whenever she felt this mentally drained, she invariably got an eerie feeling.

Like something might be crouching in the corner of the waiting room.

This waiting room had traces of a senior female idol who had secretly smoked and caused a fire. The black soot looked eerily like a human figure.

“Are you a ghost?”

Kwon Sua, the idol of Korea’s number one group, was someone who could see ghosts.

At least, that’s what she thought.

“Is that you, Mr. Yeongwon?”

Kwon Sua casually asked the stain.

The stain was just a stain and offered no reply.

It seemed quite some time had passed since Kwon Sua lost her ability to see ghosts. Kwon Sua was living an ordinary life.

Of course, being the center of an idol group with numerous fans even overseas wasn’t exactly ordinary, but to Kwon Sua, all of this felt like a “normal” daily life.

But sometimes she felt like something important was missing.

Like bean paste stew without bean paste.

That’s when she received a call.

“Hello?”

It was Jeongseok.

She had known Jeongseok for a long time, but they hadn’t been in contact for several years.

She had only heard him say, “Become an idol.” Even without Jeongseok’s words, Kwon Sua had become an idol and reached the top because she naturally attracted attention.

Over the phone, Jeongseok said:

—Quit being an idol now.

“What? What are you suddenly saying?”

—Don’t you think an idol who suddenly announces retirement at their peak will become a hot topic? Don’t you think people will start speculating about the reason?

“…Well.”

That was true. It would create an enormous buzz.

It would be the talk of the town for at least a month.

—Congratulations on your dome concert!

Kwon Sua thought of the fans waiting for her and the refreshing feeling of the sweat she had shed after the performance.

After seriously considering quitting being an idol, Kwon Sua made her decision.

“What do you want me to do?”