Juhwan scanned the gym carefully, opening abandoned lockers, checking every dusty corner.
That's when he saw it, a faint trail of blood smeared across the wooden floor, leading behind a row of old cabinets.
His throat tightened.
'I've never even seen a real blood trail before, but my brain just told me—yep, that's blood. Damn it. Here we go. Blood."
He stood still for a moment, forcing himself to listen.
It was still completely silent.
No footsteps.
No breathing.
No shifting sounds.
Nothing.
In this silence, even the tiniest movement would've been obvious.
Juhwan's body tensed, but his stiff, blank face behind the black mask didn't show it.
Slowly, he followed the trail.
It led to something crumpled on the floor, a female school uniform.
Just the upper part. Blood stained the fabric, but it was dried, long ago.
Before he could think, his phone vibrated again, nearly making him drop it.
'Shit!' he hissed, clutching his chest.
He checked the notification.
[Clue Found: 2/3]
Bloodied School Uniform acquired.
Juhwan stared at the uniform.
'Do I… really have to take this?
Won't this make me look like a pervert if anyone saw me?'
He sighed heavily.
'It's just a game. It's just a game.'
Reluctantly, he stuffed the bloodstained uniform into his backpack.
The silence in the gym pressed in tighter now, like the air was watching him.
He glanced at his phone's clock.
It must be close to midnight. I've been here too long.
His feet felt heavier, but he kept walking.
He had to find it and get out—before something happens.
As Juhwan walked, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Wait… If I can pull items out of the inventory, maybe I can also put things in.
It was worth a try.
He focused on the notebook first, mentally selecting it. A faint shimmer, and in an instant, it vanished from his hands, stored safely in his inventory.
His eyes widened slightly.
'It worked…'
Quickly, he did the same with the bloodied uniform.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
'This is useful. At least I won't look like I'm carrying evidence in real life.'
His heart calmed a little knowing he could keep the clues safe—and his hands free.
'So I can pull out and store items freely? That's actually pretty cool. It was starting to feel like a weird ability now.'
Still, the pressure in his chest didn't ease completely. The silence in the school was too heavy. The air was too cold.
There was one clue left.
Juhwan tightened his grip on his flashlight, pulled his hoodie closer, and continued moving through the dark halls.
I just need to find the last clue and get out of here.
Fast!
Juhwan's steps echoed as he moved through the dark halls.
He passed several bathrooms along the way, but when he reached one marked Girls' Bathroom, something about it made him stop.
Out of all the places he'd seen, this one felt wrong.
The door creaked slightly open, the darkness inside thicker than anywhere else.
Juhwan hated bathrooms when they were too quiet. His footsteps sounded too loud here.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Every step bounced off the tiled walls like he was announcing himself to something he couldn't see.
He pushed the door fully open and was immediately hit by a foul stench so strong it made his stomach twist.
His body flinched. 'Shit… I'm gonna puke.'
But he stopped himself just in time—remembering he was wearing the mask.
'If I throw up now… it'll be on my own face.'
The air was thick and rotten. He forced his steps forward, holding his breath as much as he could.
His flashlight flickered as he scanned the cracked mirrors, the dirty sinks, and the broken stalls.
That's when he saw it, a small bag sitting by the far wall.
It gave off a heavy, ominous feeling.
His skin prickled. It felt like someone was watching him, breathing behind his back.
Juhwan quickly opened the bag.
Inside, he found a folded love letter.
The edges were soaked in dried blood.
His chest pounded, but he grabbed it without hesitation.
His phone buzzed violently again.
"Damn it!" he hissed, his heart jumping even though he expected it.
[Clue Found: 3/3]
Bloodstained Love Letter acquired.
Mission Complete.
It's done. It's finally done.
His breathing quickened. He didn't waste another second.
Juhwan walked—fast.
Then faster.
Then nearly running.
'Get out. Get out. Get out.'
His footsteps echoed through the empty halls, but this time, he didn't care.
He just wanted to leave this place—now.
As Juhwan finally reached the school gate, his phone buzzed again.
He checked it, panting, his heart still racing.
The screen lit up with a message.
[Mission Complete: Tutorial Scenario – The Rumored School]
Completion: 75%
Points Earned: 50
Bonus: +10 Points for thorough exploration
Shop Unlocked!
Mystery Gift Received!
Another message popped up immediately.
–BZZZT
[New Mission: Blind Date Invitation]
Location: Same School Grounds
Time: 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM
Details: Come meet your match!
Juhwan stared at the screen, completely done with tonight.
"What the hell is this? A blind date? Are you serious!?"
But he didn't waste time complaining.
There were no buses or taxis nearby.
The streets around the school felt abandoned.
So he ran. Fast.
His shoes pounded the pavement as he sprinted through the quiet roads, desperate to get back to the safety of his apartment.
His phone buzzed again, calculating his mission results, but he ignored most of it. The system said something about a Mystery Gift, but he didn't bother opening it yet.
Later. I'll deal with that later.
When he finally reached his apartment, he locked the door, kicked off his shoes, and dropped face-first onto his bed—completely exhausted.
His body felt heavy, his breathing slowing.
'What kind of game did I even get myself into!?'
He didn't have the energy to think anymore.
Sleep hit him instantly.
...
The next morning, Juhwan slowly opened his eyes, feeling off.
The weight of yesterday's events lingered in his chest.
His phone sat quietly on his desk, but he couldn't bring himself to pick it up right away.
Just seeing it made his stomach twist.
'It's probably still there… That cursed app.'
He sighed. Lucky it's the weekend. If this was a school day, I'd be late for sure.
The clock read 9:25 AM.
Reluctantly, he grabbed his phone and unlocked it.
The app was still there. The mission log, the points, everything.
He checked his rewards carefully, trying to process the system like it was just another game.
[Current Points: 60]
[Shop: Unlocked]
[Mystery Gift: Ready to Open]
Fine. Let's see what this is.
When he tapped on the Mystery Gift, a roulette wheel appeared, spinning with tiles marked only by question marks.
Wow, a real mystery then, he thought.
He tapped to spin.
The wheel spun rapidly, slowing… slowing…
Click!
It landed on a question mark.
[Congratulations! You've received: Third Eye.]
Juhwan froze.
Third Eye?
'This… sounds like something i don't like.'
His chest tightened. He wanted to run away from this nonsense, but the system waited for him to accept.
Gritting his teeth, he clicked [Receive.]
A sudden sharp sensation burned through his eye.
His breathing hitched as his vision twisted, colors drained from the world around him, turning everything black, white, and faint gray.
But faintly—just faintly, he saw odd and flickering colors in the corners of his vision.
The system message appeared again.
[Third Eye: Activated]
[You can now see spiritual traces, lingering emotions, and hidden things.]
[You can switch your vision between Normal View and Third Eye View at will.]
[Warning: Some things may notice when you're watching them.]
His heart pounded.
His breaths came fast and shaky.
This isn't normal.
His simple, boring life just got pulled into something completely supernatural.
He wanted to scream.
But instead, he whispered to himself, trembling.
'…What the hell did I get myself into?'