Ch.32032 – Courage Test 1

# 032 – Courage Test # 1

“No. I mean, why is Yu Dahui here?”

Yang Juhui was angry the entire way home.

It was because she heard that Yu Dahui was waiting in front of our house with Jeongseok.

“Isn’t this something only you, me, and Jeongseok know about? Did you tell Yu Dahui everything about our situation?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Then what are we going to do? You said we’d discuss things and make plans today. Won’t it be difficult to talk about ghosts or elevators with Yu Dahui around?”

Yang Juhui’s irritation stemmed from a fairly reasonable concern.

Today was the day when the “Ha Yeongwon Pirates” would officially gather after the chaotic atmosphere of the past few days.

It was the perfect day to reflect on everything that had happened so far and establish future plans.

Actually, I was planning to tell everyone about the “Nightmare Corridor” today.

The waiting period to enter the corridor had just ended, too.

Thinking about it now, the hardships we experienced on the death floor of the elevator were… no, for us, they were quite beneficial.

That place closely resembled the “Nightmare Corridor,” which would help me explain the corridor to Jeongseok and Yang Juhui.

You could say we got a preview of the “Nightmare Corridor” on that fourth floor.

Or that we received a preventative vaccine.

I was also concerned about the English teacher.

I wanted to warn Jeongseok and Yang Juhui about Hong Miri.

Anyway.

I was in a good mood today, looking forward to having a lot to talk about and eating chicken together, but Yu Dahui suddenly joining us made me feel a bit awkward.

Yang Juhui, who had never thought highly of Yu Dahui, was completely irritated.

“Ah, geez. Jeongseok should just tell Yu Dahui to get lost. Why is he making such a fuss? Is that so difficult? He said keeping secrets was important. Ugh, that pushover.”

I could feel Yang Juhui’s opinion of Jeongseok rapidly declining.

However, I understood Jeongseok’s feelings a bit.

A first-year high school boy.

Boys going through this hormone-filled period generally couldn’t be strong against girls.

I know it well.

Especially since Jeongseok, like me, attended an all-boys middle school for three years!

Such boys find it extremely difficult to refuse “a girl’s request”!

Especially requests from pretty girls like Yu Dahui!

Also, Yu Dahui was strangely forward.

She approaches you like someone you’ve known for a long time, you know?

I had only seen her face in the library as a library committee member, but one day she suddenly approached me, started talking, and even gave me her phone number.

Looking back now… it felt like being enchanted by some fox spirit.

It might have just been how she acted with me, but…

If she approached Jeongseok just as casually and said, “Jeongseok, what are you doing there? Waiting for a friend? Yeongwon? Great. I’m Yeongwon’s friend too. Let me join you,” could Jeongseok refuse?

No.

And that’s how we ended up in this situation.

“Hello? Hey, Jeongseok. Is Yu Dahui there? Put her on. If you can’t tell her to get lost, I’ll do it for you.”

Yang Juhui finally couldn’t hold back and called Jeongseok while we were walking.

Her impulsive action was truly the best among us.

Her trait “Boiling Blood” must have disappeared, but perhaps some remnants remained.

“Hey, wait. Juhui. Let me talk to him. Give it to me. Give me the phone.”

“Aish, hey! Get off my phone! Yah!”

I snatched the phone from Yang Juhui’s hand.

Perhaps because the phone had just been touched by Yang Juhui’s breath, it smelled like cherries.

Was it because Yang Juhui had been munching on cherry-flavored candy?

“Hey, Jeongseok. It’s Yeongwon.”

—Oh, Yeongwon. What should I do? Should I just take responsibility and send her home? Yu Dahui and I were in the same elementary school class, but I didn’t expect to meet her today…

I see.

So Jeongseok and Yu Dahui were elementary school classmates.

I spoke to Jeongseok.

“Is she still next to you?”

—No. She said she’s stopping by the convenience store for a moment.

“Then let’s just leave it for now.”

I made a decision as the leader.

This might actually be an opportunity.

An opportunity to uncover the secret behind the sleep I kept falling into and the strange dreams I had whenever I met Yu Dahui.

I, Ha Yeongwon.

A man who has turned numerous crises into stepping stones of opportunity.

I can do this.

With who I am now!

Click.

I hung up and returned my phone to Yang Juhui.

Yang Juhui opened her narrow eyes and looked at me.

“What? You’re not going to send Yu Dahui away?”

“From what I’ve seen, she seems a bit suspicious. I’m going to try to figure her out today.”

“…”

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to have a female friend too?”

During the days I couldn’t attend school, I heard about Yang Juhui’s school life from Jeongseok.

He said Yang Juhui was subtly ostracized in our Class D.

There wasn’t any explicit bullying, but the girls would talk behind her back—subtly gossiping about her.

Even during PE class, she was the only one without a partner and had to pass the ball with the teacher.

Don’t girls like to form groups?

They usually go around in groups of three or four.

Originally, Yang Juhui used to have Lim Huiyeon, the fifth prettiest girl in our class whom I had a slight crush on, and Gong Yerin following her around like handmaidens… but now she had completely fallen from grace.

It happened after it was revealed that Yang Juhui’s family was actually extremely poor.

Anyway, Yang Juhui was being ostracized.

Even though she had me and Jeongseok, wouldn’t it be good for her to have at least one friend of the same gender?

My life became much easier after becoming friends with Jeongseok.

We even play League of Legends together.

“What are you saying? Is a loser like you worried about your noona making friends? Ha Yeongwon, you’ve been getting too cocky lately. It’s like you own the world. Like a fish in water.”

That was true.

Somehow, I feel more engaged with life now that I’m encountering ghosts than I did before.

Suddenly, I became curious.

“Juhui, why do you dislike Yu Dahui so much? Did you go to the same elementary school?”

“No. I just don’t like her.”

Swoosh.

Yang Juhui turned her head away as if there was nothing more to say.

There definitely seemed to be something there.

…Women.

To me, who had spent three years in an all-boys middle school, they were more complex than ghosts or urban legends.

# # #

“Hey guys, hello! The weather is really nice today!”

When we arrived in front of Tae-gwang Villa, Jeongseok and Yu Dahui were waiting for us.

Yu Dahui’s casual clothes were similar to her school uniform, except she wasn’t wearing stockings and had sandals on instead.

Her attire was neat, unlike Yang Juhui who wore tracksuits or dolphin pants.

“Yeongwon, you’re here. How’s your mother doing?”

In Jeongseok’s hand was a convenience store bag full of 1.5-liter drinks and snacks.

I answered briefly.

“Mom seems to be doing well. But what’s all that?”

“Snacks and drinks that Dahui bought. We can share them later.”

Jeongseok looked at me and Yang Juhui with an awkward expression and tone.

This guy had been struggling in front of the villa in his own way.

“You said we’re going to play games today, right? That sounds really fun. League? Are we playing League? I know what League is. You move with the mouse, right?”

Yu Dahui around 10 AM was more cheerful than I expected.

Just looking at her appearance, you’d think she’d be cold and aloof, but this gap between expectations and reality—her lack of distance and casual attitude—disarms people’s hearts.

You know how when you find out that someone who looks really intimidating is actually fun and has a good personality, you tend to like them even more?

Anyway.

We decided to go inside.

However… I was a bit nervous about inviting Yu Dahui to my home for the first time.

My mom hasn’t been home for a few days, so our place is a complete mess.

There’s probably a pile of unwashed dishes too.

“Do we have to climb stairs to the fourth floor?”

Yu Dahui asked as we were about to climb the stairs.

For some reason, all of us—me, Jeongseok, and Yang Juhui—stopped in our tracks and tensed up.

Don’t you feel the déjà vu…?

“…Why?”

Jeongseok asked.

His voice was somehow tense.

Soon, Yu Dahui laughed, “Puhehe.”

“Because my legs hurt! I’ve been standing the whole time.”

…I see.

That makes sense.

Then Yang Juhui said:

“If you don’t want to climb the stairs, you can go home.”

It was probably a joke, but why didn’t it sound like one?

Suddenly, the mention of “home” reminded me of what Yu Dahui had said before.

Didn’t she say that she wasn’t allowed to hang out with friends much, and especially not allowed to talk to boys?

“Dahui, is it okay for you to hang out at our place today? Won’t they worry about you at home?”

I asked Dahui as she climbed the stairs.

Dahui replied:

“I think it’ll be fine now. I had a bit of a fight at home yesterday. I’m not a child anymore. I should be able to decide what I want to do and where I want to go.”

I see…

Beep, beep beep.

While I was talking with Yu Dahui, Yang Juhui, who had already reached the fourth floor, opened the door on her own.

Ever since I told her the password when we were attacked by the copied mom ghosts, Yang Juhui always opened the door lock like that.

Yang Juhui’s house has a key lock instead of a digital one, so maybe she finds the digital lock fascinating.

Anyway.

I wondered how Yu Dahui would react to seeing my house for the first time.

“Wow.”

Yu Dahui slightly opened her mouth and looked around.

It was a similar reaction to Jeongseok when he first came to our house.

Is this how all well-off kids react?

At that moment, Yang Juhui, who had gone in first and put her bag and phone on the dining table, said:

“Ugh, hey. Do your dishes regularly. This is why you get cockroaches!”

No…

I know, but I’ve been so out of it these past few days…

Swoosh.

Yang Juhui turned on the water and started doing the dishes.

She seemed quite familiar with it, and seeing this, Yu Dahui made a comment:

“Juhui must come over often.”

“No, not really. Hey, just leave it. I’ll do it.”

After the chaotic dishwashing and atmosphere adjustment was over, I went to my room and turned on the computer.

The house felt cramped with four people in it, like it might burst from being so full.

Whirrrr.

Then Yu Dahui said:

“Ah, a blanket. I want to lie down. My legs hurt from standing for so long.”

Plop!

Yu Dahui lay down on the unmade blanket.

She didn’t seem to care at all about wrinkling her clothes or getting something on them.

But I was concerned!

A girl lying on my blanket!

When did I last wash that blanket?

I hope it doesn’t smell weird!

“Yeongwon, should I log in with my ID first? I’ve already purchased the game. The file size isn’t too big, so it won’t take long to download. I’ll save it to the C drive.”

Click, click.

Jeongseok downloaded the game with a familiar attitude.

In the process, he seemed to have discovered my “Direct Hit” folder, but he pretended not to see it.

He’s a guy who understands the brotherhood code.

The file finished downloading.

When Jeongseok started the game, graphics that weren’t exactly impressive but had a somewhat nostalgic feel appeared.

“Abyss corridor”

The title was in English.

Yu Dahui, standing behind the chair looking at the monitor, asked:

“Abyss corridor? Jeongseok, what kind of game is this?”

“Um… It’s a horror game where you escape from a corridor with ghosts while solving various secrets. Many internet streamers play it, so there are lots of videos. Haven’t you seen it?”

“First time seeing it. Can we play together? Games can be played together, right?”

What I realized today was that Yu Dahui’s knowledge of games was almost non-existent.

Did she grow up just reading books at home?

Soon, Jeongseok answered:

“We can’t play together. Basically, these horror games are for single players.”

“Single players. So couples can’t play?”

Yang Juhui made a comment.

It was quite a crude joke. The temperature around us seemed to drop by 2 degrees, like when facing a ghost.

She wouldn’t have made such jokes normally.

Yang Juhui, you’ve really changed. This is how ostracism ruins people.

“Single player means it’s a game played alone. Anyway, let’s start. First, I’ll set the difficulty to normal. Also, before starting, the protagonist can take one item to use in this ghost-filled corridor. I’ll choose ‘slippers’.”

“Slippers: Eliminates noise when running.”

That’s a good item.

It would be useful if my “Nightmare Corridor” had such items.

Anyway.

This is how the Abyss Corridor gameplay began.

And Yang Juhui screamed incredibly loudly.

“Hey! It’s chasing you! Hide! Hide! Hurry up and hide! Aaaaah!”

She wasn’t even this scared of real ghosts.

Yet Yang Juhui was practically having a fit over the ghosts chasing in the game.

Jeongseok wasn’t very good at the game.

He kept panicking and dying whenever a ghost appeared. In reality, Jeongseok would get scared and fall down whenever he encountered ghosts.

“Hey, this looks easy but it’s actually difficult. You’ll understand if you try it yourself.”

Then Yu Dahui asked:

“Can I try playing it once?”

Yu Dahui wants to play the game?

Jeongseok looked at me with a “what should we do” expression.

I had a feeling that the time had come to see Yu Dahui’s true worth.