Survivors: █, Deaths: █
Originally, there was no bullying or anything like that.
I was a pretty average student in class and didn’t stand out.
But one day, Kim Geonho said to me,
“Hey, Ha Youngwon, you know today is April Fool’s Day, right? I have a fun story. Listen to it. For a loner like you, this role is perfect. Perfect!”
It was only early April, just a month after the entrance ceremony, but Class D had already become the kingdom of Kim Geonho, who boasted of his middle school adventures.
As if testing how far he could go and what would be tolerated in Class D, Kim Geonho raised the intensity of his pranks and reckless behavior.
“You see, Youngwon, what if you go to Yang Juhui and…”
It was obvious that refusing Kim Geonho’s suggestion would lead to some bothersome consequences.
Wanting to live exactly in the ‘middle’ for reasons, I accepted the guy’s proposal.
It wasn’t that difficult of a request, anyway.
“Yang Juhui, I like you. Let’s date.”
Before 1st period.
The kids clapped and whistled, setting the mood.
The chill crew also laughed and recorded everything on their phones.
“Date! Date!”
“Date! Date!”
“Kiss! Kiss!”
“What, you’re playing this kind of April Fool’s joke? It’s not funny at all! It’s no fun, got it? Ah, go away! Stop filming! I said stop! The teacher will be here any minute. What is this!?”
Yang Juhui, who was always acting aloof and bold, also seemed quite flustered by this prank and lie cooked up by the whole class.
“What, it doesn’t seem like Juhui hates it?”
“Well, Youngwon is kind of cute. Tall too. And pretty smart!”
“Is this for real? Eek! Hurry and answer!”
The atmosphere was ripening.
It was when Yang Juhui’s white face was turning red.
Now, I thought they would set off fireworks or pop something as promised, but…
“Ah fuck, this is so lame. Let’s stop here.”
…Contrary to the plan, Kim Geonho, who popped out, ended the situation.
“Ha Youngwon, you damn bastard. I told you to confess to Yang Juhui convincingly, but you suck at acting, so she saw through the April Fool’s lie from the start. At this rate, we won’t get any views. Do you wanna die?”
That’s when it started.
When I became the target of blatant bullying by Kim Geonho.
The reason that day came to mind now was because Yang Juhui’s current face was exactly the same as that of April Fool’s Day.
Her expression, flushed red with embarrassment and humiliation to the point of tears welling up, was the same as that day.
“Hey, Ha Youngwon. What did you say just now?”
“First, take off your shirt. Or…should I take it off for you?”
To escape the nightmare corridor, I pressured Yang Juhui.
It was my first time threatening and pressuring others, so the lines were a bit awkward, and I was nervous.
I wasn’t able to get the Hypnosis App from the store that I painstakingly unlocked, but the result is similar, isn’t it?
Of course, this was a humane and righteous thing to do.
To escape from here, I will gladly drink the bitter cup of false evil.
“No. Why should I do what you say?”
“Ha, Juhui. Do you think I’m telling you this for my own good? We have to do whatever it takes to get out of here. If you don’t want to, let’s live here in this classroom forever! You and me! The two of us!”
I threatened that we might never escape this terrifying corridor.
After that, I tried gently persuading her.
“It’s not like it’ll wear out just from showing it or touching it a bit. You’ve dated a lot of guys, right? Aren’t you used to this kind of thing?”
“Do you really wanna die? I think I know what you really think of me, Youngwon. Creepy loser. Seriously gross. Ew… Just try laying a finger on my body!”
“Fine, then let’s just live here. I don’t care. Fuck. I like it here. No bullying, no need to do anyone’s homework for them! It’s heaven! Heaven!”
*Screech*
I pushed all the desks away and lay down in the space I made.
It was surprisingly comfortable for a haunted place.
Walking is better than running, and lying down is better than walking, after all.
About 5 minutes passed.
*Rustle*
I heard the sound of thin fabric falling.
Turning my head, I saw Yang Juhui taking off her shoes.
The fact that a classmate was taking off her shoes in front of me was honestly arousing.
Looks like I might open my eyes to a new fetish!
“…Youngwon. Promise me one thing. Are you really confident you can get us out of here? If you promise, I’ll let you touch. Not… anywhere else… just… feet.”
Can I escape from here?
Honestly, it was 50/50.
To be frank, my virgin magic might not work.
So what?
Rather than just dying here, isn’t it better to mess around with the girl who bullied me and then die?
If we escape, great. If not, well… it can’t be helped.
No matter what I did, I was bound to profit.
Of course, I didn’t say that and put on a serious expression.
“I promise. When I wake up from the dream, I’ll go to where you’re sleeping and wake you up, Juhui. Then can I… take off your socks for now…?”
Earlier, seeing Jeong Sojin take off her stockings gave me a reaction in many ways.
If I personally take off Yang Juhui’s socks, I’ll get the same… no, an even bigger reaction!
“……”
Yang Juhui was silent. Just staring at me with a look of contempt.
Still, this silence seemed like affirmation.
*Thump thump thump thump*
Now, my heart was pounding more loudly than when I encountered ghosts.
What should I do from here?
As I reached out my hand with that thought, *smack* Yang Juhui grabbed my wrist.
“…On second thought, I can’t let you touch just like that! I have no intention of letting anyone but the person I’m dating touch my body. If you want to touch me, you have to date me.”
“Are you asking me out right now?”
“Also, I don’t like casual dating and breaking up. I always think you should date with marriage in mind. Can you agree to that?”
Marriage?
Isn’t that talk way too early for a high school freshman?
I didn’t know Yang Juhui had this side to her.
“Also, if you want to date me, you have to go to church every Sunday.”
Church?
Ah shit, I don’t really want to, but I’ll just fib my way through.
“Got it. I’ve been to church a lot. Then that’s settled? Starting today, we’re dating. We’re dating with marriage in mind. Then it’s decided, right?”
*Swish*
I pulled my wrist out of Yang Juhui’s grip.
Now, I really need to escape.
From various ‘nightmares.’
*Smack*
Then Yang Juhui grabbed my wrist again.
“And I think it’s best to start by just holding hands first. Even skinship has its stages, you know. Even after dating, for about 100 days just holding hands and…”
“Ahh, damn. The great Yang Juhui, why is your tongue so long? Don’t you believe in premarital chastity or something?”
“…You mean premarital abstinence?”
“Same thing. Are you a tease?”
I felt annoyed for no reason.
But… come to think of it, the idea of holding hands was quite appealing.
Who knows? Maybe the mood will strike while holding hands and I can touch elsewhere…
Kids these days do everything after just a day of dating.
If I were one of those kids these days, maybe various things would be possible.
No, I can do it! If it’s me!
“Then I’ll touch.”
*Swish*
I held Yang Juhui’s hand, which was grabbing my wrist.
“Ah…why are you holding my hand like that…I knew you were a creepy loser…”
Yang Juhui shuddered slightly.
Her hand was slender. Warm. And soft.
Her nails were clean and well-maintained without any polish.
“How did I hold your hand?”
“…Like a pervert, that’s how.”
I thought I held it normally.
More than that… girls’ hands are this small, delicate, and soft, huh.
The hand that was fierce when hitting me, how can it be this soft.
If even her hand is this soft, how much more that large chest…
“Ooh—”
At that moment, I felt like my body was melting.
This feeling was dangerous.
“…Just from holding hands?”
I checked my pants as soon as I woke up.
Fortunately, I didn’t need to change my underwear.
“7 o’clock…!? I’m late!”
For now, I hurriedly went to the living room.
A huge American cockroach was crawling around the kitchen, and *buzz* flew towards my face.
“Whoa, shit, you scared me!”
It was really terrifying.
A thumb-sized American roach flying at my face was more horrifying than being chased by ghosts in a dream.
I quickly got dressed and left for school, trying to calm my pounding heart.
I arrived at school around 7:30.
The school was already abuzz.
Police had come to the old school building, and students were murmuring.
“Whew, I’m glad it wasn’t a disappearance. Teacher, then we’ll get going. Since it wasn’t a big deal, please handle the rest at the school…”
“Yes. Thank you so much. You kids! What were you thinking, sleeping in a place like this! If I hadn’t come to work early and found you, what do you think would have happened to you now!”
At a glance, I saw a woman in a black suit with neatly cut short hair scolding students sternly.
It was the 1st year Korean language teacher.
She was thirty-one this year, but she was popular among the boys for being single and a beautiful woman with a graceful face. She was a teacher I liked a bit too.
“Ahh, dammit. Why was I sleeping in a place like this? My head feels like it’s gonna split. Teach, can you be a little quieter? My head hurts.”
A boy who seemed well over 180cm tall scratched the back of his head, and his body trembled. Next to him was a girl with glasses.
“What, what time is it now… huh? 7 in the morning!? I’m screwed! Mom’s gonna kill me! What do I do! Seriously!”
It was Kim Geonho and Jeong Sojin.
As I thought, they were both alive.
It felt like a heavy burden was lifted from my chest.
And next to them…
“…Ah, what the. My uniform is all wrinkled. Why did I fall asleep in a place like this?”
Yang Juhui was complaining with her hair sticking out every which way.
They all seemed puzzled as to why they were sleeping inside the old school building.
Naturally, the school was in an uproar.
Did you drink…? Did you sniff glue…? Teacher, these days students do drugs too… *Mumble mumble*
“No way. Did you guys hear? Kim Geonho, Yang Juhui, and Jeong Sojin spent the night in the old school building!”
“Whoa, shit, they’ve got guts. In a place that seems haunted?”
Before 1st period started,
Class D students chattered incessantly about the incident that unfolded this morning.
*Screech*
Soon, the classroom door opened, and Yang Juhui and Jeong Sojin entered, causing everyone to shut their mouths.
The teachers interrogating the kids must have let them attend class for now.
Did Kim Geonho go home?
No, I don’t give a shit about that bastard anymore.
I smiled slightly at Yang Juhui sitting behind me.
So this girl is my girlfriend starting today.
Honestly, I couldn’t believe it, but it felt nice.
“What are you looking at? Loser.”
“Tsk tsk, Juhui, is that any way to talk to your future husband? Don’t you know it says in the Bible that the husband is the head of the wife and wives should submit to their husbands? For a girl who goes to church every week, your personality is really…”
“What? Husband? Are you crazy? Where is this sudden confidence coming from, you loser? How do you even know I go to church? Don’t tell me… you investigated me…!?”
Yang Juhui suddenly exploded, and I was startled, too.
Is she pretending not to know about last night? Secret dating?
Just in case, I asked Yang Juhui,
“Juhui, what do you think about just holding hands until our 100th day of dating?”
“Hey, what kind of nonsense have you been spewing since morning? I feel like shit, and you’re making it worse. Did Kim Geonho put you up to something again? Like lying and confessing to me?”
“No, I used to have a girlfriend. And my girlfriend suggested just holding hands for 100 days…”
“You had a girlfriend, Ha Youngwon? Who?”
“She’s gone now… I got dumped right away.”
“Puhaha, just like you! But who was she? Should I go beat her up? Who dumped our Youngwon! Huh? Who is it? A girl from our class? Our school? I bet she’s ugly!”
Yang Juhui didn’t seem to remember the dream at all.
About the Nightmare Corridor too.
And the conversations we had.
I…felt like I had lost a girlfriend I never even dated.
A precious person.
Someone I don’t want to forget.
Someone I shouldn’t forget.
Where can I vent these emotions…
Was it all just my own dream?
I was frustrated.
If it was really a dream, I should have just touched her chest or something.
“Status Window.”
Dejected, I tried displaying text in the air.
*Ding*
Fortunately or unfortunately, the text appeared.
But the text I saw was a little different from usual.
Congratulations! You have safely returned from the Nightmare Corridor!
Starting settlement for 1 survivor and 3 deceased.
The 3 deceased gain an Eccentricity
- Kim Geonho ◀ Select to view
- Jeong Sojin ◀ Select to view
- Yang Juhui ◀ Select to view