Ghost Story Club-Chapter 137: Sixteenth Ghost Story The Mysterious 4th Period (1)

[Brother, this guy is smiling?]

[Leave him be. He’s probably having a good dream or something.]

“…Dad, lower the TV volume….”

I wanted to sleep, but couldn’t because of the sound of the TV. So I opened the door and quietly pleaded to my dad.

Then, my father let out a fart and turned over on the couch in the living room.

“They say raising children is useless… Now I can’t even watch TV whenever I want.”

“Honey!”

My mom suddenly jumped out of the master bedroom wearing a face mask.

“Watching TV at this hour in the first place is already too much! Anyone who sees you would think you have no work tomorrow!”

Tomorrow is Monday.

It’s the day when our whole family has to wake up early and get ready for the week.

“Alright, alright…”

My father eventually got up while grumbling and went into their bedroom.

Only then did I lie back down in bed and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

[2019, May 13th | Monday, 07:52 AM]

[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts – 2]

[Ghost Story Points: 173]

[Causality Rate: 22%]

After resting comfortably at home over the weekend, I headed for school. As soon as I entered, I found a crowd of students gathered by the notice board next to the first-floor teachers’ office.

“Wow, this is so hot……”

“Take a picture, a picture.”

“……?”

I was about to head for my classroom, but seeing the crowds of students, I wondered what they were all gathered for, so I glanced over and saw a piece of paper with the title ‘Beware of Outsiders’ posted.

[Beware of Outsiders]

[On Friday, the 10th, at around 2:30 p.m, an intruder, wearing a full-body latex suit, broke into the school through the main entrance. The mysterious individual wielded a hammer, and smashed the mirror in the main entrance before escaping. We urge everyone to be cautious of the individual shown in the attached picture. If you spot any suspicious individuals, please report them to a teacher immediately. Additionally, refrain from taking less-populated routes when commuting to and from school.]

[Furthermore, to prevent such disturbances, the school has prioritized installing extra security cameras at the east and west entrances of the main building. Once the budget is allocated, security will be further strengthened, so please feel at ease and come to school with a peace of mind.]

Beneath the text full of serious warnings was a picture of teacher Jang Hwaeun wearing a latex suit and smashing the mirror with a hammer.

“Her body is so hot, is this real?”

“If a sexy older sister like this were to rob me, I’d hand over my wallet right away, hehe……”

However, contrary to the teachers’ concern, the students’ main focus was not on the intrusion of an outsider, but rather on the outsider’s dangerously alluring sensual body.

The excessively provocative outfit must have been quite provocative to the adolescent students, as not only the boys who were taking pictures to save them, but even the girls were giggling and saying they would come to look at the poster later.

And the central entrance beyond the students.

A broken mirror was placed in a corner with a no-trespassing tape attached.

“……”

I quietly walked past the students and entered the classroom.

* * *

“Ah, you’re here.”

“Hi, Dukhun.”

I put down my bag and gave a brief greeting.

“Did you have a good weekend?”

“Yeah, thanks to the PS that the manager bought me.”

“That Persona game or something?”

I took out my phone as I sat down.

“Was it fun?”

I casually threw out the question without glancing at him, but maybe because I mentioned a game he played, Dukhun chuckled as if pleased.

“It was at first. But as I kept playing, it wasn’t that great of a masterpiece as I thought.”

“… Really?”

“Like most games these days, it has a setting where they put a lot of effort into the beginning and middle stages, but the storyline fell apart in the later parts….”

Soon, the homeroom teacher opened the door and entered the classroom.

“Good morning~ Hohohoho….”

“All the trending works these days are like that. It’s like they promised each other that they’d ruin the ending….. They throw out a bunch of plot points they can’t even resolve just to grab attention, and when you can’t handle it, they just escape with a dream ending-”

“Who turned on the local broadcast~?”

The homeroom teacher smiled kindly from the podium as he looked at us.

“This is a small wish of this teacher who is in his 40s. Dukhun and Joony Boy, please keep your mouths shut.”

“Tsk, tsk……”

Dukhun turned his head and furrowed his brows in frustration.

I hadn’t even been the one talking, so I felt wronged.

“It’s May, the Month of Family Celebration. We’ve been receiving all kinds of official notices, from campaigns on greeting people properly to movements about not using bad language.”

The homeroom teacher tapped the attendance book on the podium, as he started the morning assembly.

“We’re planning a few events, including a traveling concert that we’re going to hold at school, but today is the day students have a consultation session with their homeroom teacher.”

A consultation session with the homeroom teacher.

It’s something usually done at the beginning of the semester, so I guess this must be that time of year.

“The dates are up to each class, but I thought today would be best for ours, so I decided on it. After all, I happen to have my class today. Pretty smart, right?”

Our homeroom teacher’s subject is Korean.

Since it was his class, he seemed to be planning to use it as the consultation session as he decided.

“We’ll take turns meeting with me throughout today, in order of attendance numbers. There’s nothing special, just things like adjusting to school or discussing your future plans. So, when your attendance number is called during class, just come over without any pressure. Now, let’s start with attendance number 1 and 2.”

After finishing the morning assembly, the homeroom teacher pointed to attendance numbers 1 and 2, and the two students stood up from their seats and followed him out.

It looked like we would be coming and going throughout the day during class.

‘A one-on-one meeting with the homeroom teacher, hmm…’

A meeting that happens in every high school, nothing too unusual.

However, the situation is a little different for us.

‘The homeroom teacher is a figure who keeps me in check in the classroom.’

In fact, because of the Totem incident and a few other small matters, he probably knew that I viewed him with suspicion.

We never explicitly showed it, but both of us knew that neither of us was an ordinary person, even though we played the role of a typical student and teacher.

Now having a one-on-one meeting with that homeroom teacher?

What should we even talk about?

‘…Asking if my studies are going well would be kind of funny.’

I tapped my pen while thinking about this and that.

About 10 minutes later, the students with attendance numbers 1 and 2, who had gone out first, came back in.

Drrr-

“Kim Bobae and Kim Sunwoo, the teacher is calling you to the teachers’ office.”

Following that, the next students with attendance numbers 3 and 4 were called and went out.

I felt the need to give a quick warning to the club members before the first period started, so I hurriedly gathered them in the hallway.

“If the homeroom teacher asks you anything related to the club, don’t answer. Just talk about ordinary things. Okay?”

“Okay……”

“If you notice anything suspicious, make sure to remember it and share it with each other.”

“Got it.”

Our club has a lot of surnames that start with ‘A/O’1[T/N: The pronunciation for A and O in Korean has the same letter.], so the attendance numbers are in a row.

Starting with number 11, Ahn Gyeongwon, number 12, Oh Dukhun, number 13, Yoon Sunah, number 14, Lee Joon, number 15, Lee Jinhee……

‘From there, number 16, Vice Class President, Lee Chaerin, and then number 17, In Hayoon.’

I sat down, thinking that around the 3rd or 4th period, we would all be lined up for the meeting one after another.

* * *

“So today is your last class, Teacher. It’s really too sad……”

“Hmm……”

Second period music class.

The students raised their voices in regret at the announcement that our middle-aged music teacher, who had been in charge of the class until now, would be retiring due to health issues.

“The new teacher is young and pretty, so everyone should listen to her well. Okay?”

“Yes….”

The students murmured in regret.

On the other hand, our club members exchanged suspicious glances with each other.

‘She didn’t seem to be in that bad of health, though…’

Of course, she did act strangely during the Fourincess incident and ended up in a psychiatric hospital, but that was from the previous time period.

In the current time period, aside from the typical sensitivity that music teachers tend to have, she seemed completely fine.

“What will Teacher do after retirement?”

“My husband runs an orchard in the countryside, so I’m thinking of maybe going there to cultivate persimmons… that’s what I’m considering for now…”

While we were saying our regretful farewells instead of class, two students who had just finished their meeting with the homeroom teacher opened the door to the Music Room and entered.

“Number 7, Park Hyosung, and number 8, Class President Ban Janghoon, you’re up.”

“Yeah.”

The Class President got up to pass the baton for the next round of meeting.

It seemed like today’s classes would be hectic with people coming and going like this.

* * *

“Number 11, Ahn Gyeongwon, and number 12, Oh Dukhun, you can go now.”

Finally.

During the third period math class, the students with the previous attendance numbers came back and passed the baton to the next one.

“Ahhh- it has started.”

My deskmate, Dukhun stood up with an unpleasant smile, completely disregarding the situation.

“School is really annoying. Even when I try to stay still, they keep calling me out like this-”

“Hey, you. Quiet down. With the kids already coming and going, it’s chaotic enough, so stop mumbling and just go quietly. You’re disrupting the class.”

“Yes, yes…..”

Dukhun, who had been scolded by the young male math teacher, who was also a member of the Dogma of Void, lowered his head dejectedly.

Slid-

The two of them opened the door and left.

‘…Next is probably Sunah and me.’

Attendance number 13, Yoon Sunah.

And then attendance number 14 was me, Lee Joon, right after her. I felt assured at the thought.

‘It’s definitely much better to go with Sunah, who I’m close with, than to go with someone I don’t know.’

Since we, the members of Ghost Story Club, only hang out with each other, we hardly have any close relationships with other students.

There were several reasons for that, but one of them was that our club members themselves weren’t exactly the best at socializing.

Six members hanging out together is already a sufficient number to form a circle of friends, and on top of that, we were all in the same club, which was different enough.

Thanks to that, the students in the class thought, ‘Oh, they hang out by themselves like that’ and believed that our group already had a solid relationship, so they really never bothered to get close to us.

‘Well, that’s not completely wrong.’

I’ve always been the type to keep a small but close circle of friends, and none of the members in our club were the outgoing, social butterfly types either.

There’s no need to talk about Sunah and Dukhun, but even Gyeongwon was the type who is only good at studying, but not much fun to be friends with.

The only ones who had some potential were Hayoon and Jinhee, but Hayoon had a strangely reserved attitude despite her pretty face.

Sometimes, when the students in the class ask her something, she would politely answer, but she never took the initiative to speak to others first.

She would rather sit quietly alone. Even when the classmates showed interest and approached her, she ignored them openly, regardless of whether they were male or female students.

With such a clear boundary, it was obvious that the students would start thinking, ‘She’s pretty, but has a bad attitude,’ but it seemed that kind of thing only happens in movies…..

Rather, the students in our class tend to try to avoid offending Hayoon, they don’t behave rudely with her and always glance at her from time to time.

‘Indeed, in this world, being pretty and handsome is everything.’

Thinking like that, I looked at Jinhee.

‘Jinhee is….”

Truth to be told, out of all of us, the one who probably fit in the most with the classmates was Jinhee.

Although she spends most of her time napping in the class, whenever she’s awake, she’s the only one who interacts with the classmates, whether it’s teasing the easier targets or joking around with the delinquent boys.

‘Although most of the interactions are negative….’

Creek-

As I was lost in these thoughts, Dukhun and Gyeongwon, who had finished their meeting, came in through the front door.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Me and Sunah on the next row, naturally stood up according to the order of our numbers.

When I raised my eyebrows and asked Gyeongwon what it was like, he answered with his lips.

[Special Ability Lip Reading has activated.]

[“It was nothing, really. Just a normal consultation session. They asked about which academy I go to, what university I’m aiming for, that kind of stuff.”]

I nodded and then headed out into the hallway with Sunah.

Creeeak-

“…Huu.”

“Joony….”

Sunah looked at me with a nervous expression.

“Huh? What?”

“We’re called out now….”

“Yeah.”

I stretched out my arms in the empty hallway, letting out a deep sigh.

“Haa~”

Sunah giggled as I let out an exaggerated groan.

“I’m going to die from just sitting around, even my back hurts.”

“Is it hard for you.…?”

Sunah cautiously asked me.

“You have to study what you have already studied again…”

“Actually, I’m not really studying or anything like that. I’m just spacing out and killing time.”

Sunah laughed once and then empathized.

“Just passing time without doing anything must be tough….”

“It’s really~ so hard.”

“There, there….”

Sunah gently tapped my sleeve with two fingers.

“Once I complete the quest to increase one of your understanding by 100, I can make changes to the school policy, so that’s my top priority. Gyeongwon’s understanding is at 95 right now.”

“Oohh.…”

“I only need 5 more points, but I really can’t figure out anything.”

“5…..?”

Sunah tilted her head in puzzlement.

“What is it…? What part could it be……”

“Exactly.”

Sunah and I walked to the teachers’ office while chatting along the way.

Sunah always spoke softly, her voice barely audible.

That’s why, whenever I talk to Sunah, I always make sure not to interrupt when it’s her turn to speak and try to listen more carefully.

“I’ll just talk to him directly later. Like why hasn’t his understanding level gone by 5 even now, I wonder what is the reason.”

“But if it’s something weird, he won’t tell you…..”

“Really? That’s a bit troublesome.”

“Yeah….”

After thinking for a moment, Sunah mumbled hesitantly.

“I’ll help too. I’ll try talking to him….”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“… Then.”

Sunah suddenly asked.

“How about my understanding……?”

“Huh? You?”

I opened Sunah’s status window.

‘Yoon Sunah, Status Window.’

Pop.

《Status Window

Name: Yoon Sunah LV.2 [0/200]

Age: 16

Title: Dirt Spoon

Disposition: Low Self-Esteem

Special Ability: In the process… [Mentor: Jang Hwaeun]

Quirk: Yandere

Understanding: 85/100》

“Sunah, your understanding is 85, 15 more needed.”

“Oh, I see.…”

Sunah blushed, hiding her cheek.

Judging from the fact that she didn’t say anything further, it seemed like Sunah also had no intention of telling me about the remaining 15 understanding.

‘Well, it must be her deepest secret.’

I also have no intention of telling anyone the little details of what I did on the internet yesterday.

These days, the number one thing people worry about after their death is not being able to erase their hard drive thoroughly.

There’s a rumor currently floating around the internet that after you die, the police under the pretext of investigation will come to your family to investigate all the data you’ve hidden in your computer, examining everything from your private diaries to your search history.

‘Mom! Did you know your son searched for XXXXXX on Google the day before he died?!’

‘What, what!? What did you say!? My son isn’t such a…..’

‘Not only that, but if you search the D drive, there are not only sensitive diaries, but also some emotional sentences that seem to have been written proudly, like… Let’s see, it says something like this: ‘Life is like’….’

‘Stop it, f*ck~! Mom, don’t look at that~! Please don’t look at that!’

Then the young man could only scream as a ghost.

There are many people who would rather commit suicide than have their computer hard drive checked like this, but the System uses that information, the deepest secrets in the corners of their hearts, as a measure of understanding.

Even if it’s for the sake of saving the world, there wouldn’t be anyone in this world who would want to show their raw, inner self to others in such a way.

‘Let alone me, who is in the same class as them.’

In the end, this is a problem I have to figure out myself.

And the most likely candidate whose understanding level I could increase to 100 right now is Gyeongwon, who already has a score of 95.

Knock, knock-

“Come in.”

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the first-floor teacher’s office, walking down the hallway. When we opened the door, our homeroom teacher turned around and greeted us.

“Sunah’s attendance number comes first, right? Joony, please sit back there for a moment and wait for your turn.”

I sat down in the guest chair against the wall, and the homeroom teacher and Sunah began their meeting, discussing various things as they chatted.

‘Hmm…..’

It was far enough that I couldn’t really hear, but whenever the homeroom teacher opened his lips and spoke, I could read his lips from time to time.

[Special Ability Lip Reading has activated.]

[“Oh, you don’t go to a cram school or anything… Then how do you usually study? Do you have a separate study room……”]

The good thing about Lip Reading is that it also has a wiretapping function for eavesdropping.

As long as I can see the other party’s lips, the System displays what they say, even if it’s from a considerable distance.

From the previous experiment, I found that if it’s too far to even see their face, then I can’t use it.

Still, with my eyesight around ‘1.0’, I was able to eavesdrop to a certain extent.

‘As I confirmed during the Fourrincess incident before, even with recorded videos, as long as the resolution is sufficient, it can still be used.’

If I use it that way, there are a lot of things I could do.

For example, I could help the Detective by watching CCTV footage and reading the movements of the criminals’ lips.

Or I could use a really good telescope to look around and eavesdrop on the teachers.

[“You’re always late in the morning. Isn’t your house right in front? Then why…..”]

I stared at the homeroom teacher’s lips as he conversed with Sunah and thought to myself,

‘And I have planned to start using that right away in the next period.’

The interview between In Hayoon and the homeroom teacher.

I have planned to eavesdrop on that.