Chapter 99.
“…Huh?”
A short, sharp sound.
The bold declaration of the high school girl echoed through the space. A man reacted with a low, hesitant voice.
Choi Kang-in respected her choice—his offer had never been forced in the first place.
“Then, the last team, Group 7, will proceed with the remaining two—”
“W-wait a minute!”
Just before the third ghost story investigation began, a terrified applicant rushed forward in desperation.
With messy bangs hanging over his face.
Shoulders slumped even further than usual.
Exuding his signature negative aura, Nam Yi-ryeong ran up to the high school girl—Applicant #22—who had just rejected the supervisor’s offer.
His goal was simple.
A desperate plea for her to reconsider joining his team and, more importantly, to save him.
“J-just once! Could you please take the third test with us?! Really… you don’t even have to do anything! Just… please… just once… okay?”
Nam Yi-ryeong.
He was shouting with more desperation than he had ever mustered in his life.
A man born with a timid disposition.
Dangerous places? An obvious no.
Scouting safe routes and avoiding conflict was his default setting.
He hadn’t even watched horror movies.
Just catching a glimpse of a scary short clip online was enough to keep him awake for days.
The only thing he could tolerate was the text-based horror blog—
<Ghost Story Record Storage>
A world without jump scares, experienced purely through words, had been a refreshing first for him.
But,
As the saying goes, some things are more beautiful when seen from afar.
Nam Yi-ryeong had now stepped into the very world of <Ghost Story Record Storage> he adored.
Entering it was one thing—
But just because someone likes zombie movies doesn’t mean they’d want to live in one.
And for a top-tier coward like him, this was the last place he should be.
So he couldn’t let Applicant #22—who clearly stood out—slip away.
More accurately, he wanted her to handle everything because he was scared.
…But.
Despite his desperate plea, #22’s response was ice-cold.
“Huh? But I was already told I passed.”
“……”
She wasn’t wrong.
Applicant #22 had literally received confirmation of her acceptance from the supervisor.
“Do I have any reason to stay here longer?”
She tilted her head at Nam Yi-ryeong.
No malice could be detected in her expression.
Her eyes simply held pure curiosity as she stared at him, waiting for an answer.
But,
“……”
Nam Yi-ryeong couldn’t muster a response.
Having been rejected, his soul seemed to have already left his body.
With no reply coming, #22 turned to leave.
“…If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going now.”
Just as she was about to walk away—
Han-Sol, who had been observing from a distance, stepped forward.
“W-wait!”
Her reason for stopping #22 was the same as Nam Yi-ryeong’s.
“It might be rude to ask, but… could you please take the last test with him? Just once?”
“May I ask why?”
The reason Han-Sol stopped her—
Was for Min-ji, who was in the last team.
“There’s a girl I know in the last team… I’m worried about her. So if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to ask for your help.”
“…A girl you know.”
#22’s gaze shifted to the short-haired girl staring boldly at her from afar.
Then, when she turned back to Han-Sol—
A warm smile touched her lips.
“You’re Han-Sol… right?”
“…Yes.”
“I was actually planning to ask you something after the test, but… I think it’s better to ask now.”
“Huh?”
Shoom—!
In the middle of their conversation, #22 suddenly leaned in close to Han-Sol.
Then—
Sniff, sniff—!
“W-wait a second!”
She began smelling Han-Sol’s skin.
The onlookers could only watch in stunned silence as the bizarre scene unfolded.
Then, #22’s quiet voice rang out.
“Han-Sol… you know a man named ‘Park Yeon-jeong’, don’t you?”
“!!”
Her sharp eyes locked onto Han-Sol.
“He’s… very dear to me. And I think I smell his scent on you. May I ask… what your relationship with him is?”
“……”
An utterly unexpected name had been brought up in the middle of the exam.
The moment this stranger mentioned ‘Park Yeon-jeong’, Han-Sol felt an indescribable—
She felt a sense of kinship.
Having been thrown into this unknown world, just hearing the name of someone she knew made this girl feel oddly comforting.
But,
That didn’t mean she could act overly friendly.
No matter how strong the sense of kinship was, given the circumstances, she had to restrain herself.
Taking a deep breath, Han-Sol answered.
“We’re not particularly close. He’s just… someone I’m very grateful to.”
“…I see.”
Applicant #22 stared at Han-Sol for a long moment.
Then, when she spoke again—
A gentle smile played on her lips.
“Understood.”
“…Huh?”
Her soft voice brushed past Han-Sol’s ear before turning toward Supervisor Choi Kang-in.
“I’m sorry. On second thought, since this is the last test, I think it’s only right to see it through to the end.”
“So you’ll participate in the final test?”
Choi Kang-in confirmed again.
And the answer that came back was—
“Yes, I’ll take the last test.”
With #22’s agreement, the final team was decided.
———-
– #7 Nam Yi-ryeong
– #11 Yang Min-ji
– #22 Soi
———-
With all teams finalized, the real test began.
*****
Master… you playboy.
Another woman had spoken the name of the person Soi adored.
Soi couldn’t claim to have known her master for that long. But she also wouldn’t call their relationship short.
Or so she thought—
Recently, during her master’s absence, Soi had come across this piece of information:
-If a man’s nighttime outings have increased for no reason… it’s obvious! It’s just the wind blowing!
“…What’s ‘wind blowing’?”
At first, not understanding the term, Soi had naively wondered—
‘Does Master… like the wind blowing?’
She had vaguely entertained such thoughts.
But it didn’t take long for her to learn the true meaning of those two words.
And now.
When Han-Sol mentioned her master’s name.
Soi sensed an odd shift in the air.
Gratitude.
Warmth.
Affection…
It was something akin to what one might call ‘a woman’s intuition’.
That’s why she agreed to Han-Sol’s request.
She had heard that among Han-Sol’s teammates was someone who knew her.
She intended to ask that person.
Not Han-Sol herself, but someone else who could assess what kind of person Han-Sol was.
She had agreed to investigate.
Left alone at home, Soi couldn’t help but wonder what was her master doing outside?
Of course, Soi trusted him.
She had felt his affection for her with her entire being.
This was simply to prove that her master wasn’t that kind of person.
There was no malice.
She could swear it.
Really.
But if Han-Sol turned out to be someone with ill intentions toward her master—
Then—
Such a person had no place in this world… right?
“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll handle it myself!”
As Soi reaffirmed her fierce loyalty—
Min-ji, who had been watching everything from afar, had one thought upon seeing the high school girl smiling at her:
“…She gives me the creeps.”
Their first meeting.
Had not gone well.
*****
The third test began.
Out of 22 applicants, one had dropped out. Only one team had successfully completed the test so far.
Out of seven teams, five were currently taking the third test, with only one having finished.
Now, only two teams remain.
Group 6, led by Ryu Jin-ho, with Han-Sol and Kim Hye-seon.
And Group 7, with Nam Yi-ryeong, Yang Min-ji, and Soi.
Naturally, the next team to take the test was.
“Group 6, please enter.”
Group 6, with Ryu Jin-ho.
Choi Kang-in gripped the microphone and repeated the instructions.
“As I’ve told the previous teams, if at any point you feel you can’t continue, I have the authority to terminate the test.”
He then held up a wristband and continued.
“If you wish to withdraw during the test, simply remove this wristband, and you’ll return to the examination area. Please keep this in mind.”
Of course, removing the wristband meant forfeiting.
“Group 6, please stand behind the red line. The test will begin shortly.”
Choi Kang-in pointed to the red line on the floor. As the three team members lined up—
Numbers appeared on their electronic wristbands.
3.
2.
1.
0.
【Hide and Seek begins.】
A chilling voice pierced their ears.
The moment the countdown hit zero and they crossed the line.
They vanished.
The three who had been standing in the examination area disappeared in an instant.
And with their absence.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
Now, aside from Supervisor Choi Kang-in, only three remained.
A man radiating negativity.
A quiet middle school girl.
And a cheerful high school girl staring at her.
“……”
“……”
“……”
“…Hey.”
The first to break the silence was Min-ji, unable to bear the tension.
“If you have something to ask me—”
“May I ask? Then I’ll ask.”
“……”
As if she’d been waiting for this, Soi immediately bit.
Her question was—
“Do Han-sol … like Park Yeon-jeong?”
“…Huh?”
The high school girl’s vow to learn more about Han-Sol—
Had instantly warped into something else.
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