Juhwan sighed and set his mask and flashlight aside, finally pulling himself away from the weight of the supernatural.
I need real food.
He opened his fridge, cooked something simple, and spent most of his day in silence, just thinking.
Everything about his life felt like it had flipped overnight.
When he finally dared to check the mission list again, the current one still glared at him:
[Mission: Blind Date Invitation]
Time: 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM
Warning: Not showing up will greatly dissatisfy your partner and may cost your life! Please attend and don't be late!
His heart sank.
He wanted to cry.
'Why at night? What the hell am I supposed to do there at that time?'
Feeling completely lost, he texted his best friend, Jihoon, the one who's been with him since middle school.
[Juhwan: Bro… how do you even do a blind date?]
[Jihoon: Huh? Are you playing one of your games again? Why are you asking me? You've played a million dating sims!]
[Juhwan: It's not in a game… it's real life.]
There was a long pause.
[Jihoon: What!? Are you messing with me? If this is a prank, I'll burn your apartment.]
[Juhwan: It's real. I swear.]
[Jihoon: I'm coming over right now. Stay there.]
Juhwan put his phone down, exhaling deeply.
Great. I'm dragging Jihoon into this mess now.
To calm himself, he browsed through the shop again, checking the prices.
Basic items were affordable, but stronger tools cost more points.
He quickly realized he had to spend carefull, each mission would probably demand different things.
His eyes also drifted to the corner of the screen.
[Lives Remaining: ♥♥♥♥♥]
Five hearts. Five lives.
But from what he's seen so far, he better believe this system is deadly serious.
He thought back to all the dating sims he's played.
If this really follows dating sim logic… it's possible to give affection to this ghost.
But his gut told him this wasn't a game like that.
This felt more like something dangerous and twisted.
He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of tonight's mission pressing down.
He wasn't ready.
But he had to go.
Juhwan sat on his bed, staring at his phone, regret slowly sinking in.
Why did I call Jihoon?
I can't drag him into this mess.
But it was too late.
Soon, knocks echoed on his door.
When he opened it, Jihoon walked in, arms crossed.
"So? You called me out for this? A blind date? Seriously? What's the big deal? You've played like a hundred dating sims."
Juhwan scratched the back of his neck, forcing a dry laugh.
"Yeah… I just got dragged into it. It's my first real one, you know?"
Of course, he didn't mention the ghosts, the system, or the life-threatening missions.
Jihoon smirked.
"Well, since it's you, I guess it's already a miracle you got invited."
"Thanks," Juhwan deadpanned.
Jihoon patted his shoulder, still laughing.
"Anyway, just don't overthink it. Be yourself, don't be a creep, and talk normally. Girls can tell if you're forcing it."
Juhwan nodded, quietly grateful for the advice, even though his situation was far from normal.
"Oh, by the way," Jihoon added, grabbing his bag, "I can't hang out tonight. I need to go to my parents' house. Some family thing. So you're on your own."
"Yeah… it's fine."
Maybe it's better this way.
After Jihoon left, Juhwan spent some time getting ready, even though it still didn't feel real.
He wore a clean long-sleeved shirt and jeans.
It fit him well—simple, but it suited him.
His usually messy hair was brushed into place, and for once, he actually looked like he was heading to a real date.
Well… technically, he was.
Standing in front of the mirror, he sighed.
"…I really don't want to go."
But as the clock ticked closer to midnight, he knew he had no choice.
The blind date was waiting.
Before heading out, Juhwan spent his afternoon researching the school's history.
He searched online, digging through articles, blogs, even old forums but there was nothing.
No stories, no records, no urban legends.
It was like the place didn't exist in anyone's memory.
That's impossible, he thought. There's always some story.
Not giving up, he walked to the neighborhood near the school, casually asking some residents about the building.
But strangely, most people either didn't know much or quickly changed the topic, brushing him off with awkward smiles.
Some even seemed uncomfortable the moment he mentioned the school.
It's like they don't want to talk about it, he realized.
This place… it's really off.
Feeling cornered, he accepted he wouldn't get more answers.
To calm himself, he switched focus.
If this was a blind date, he should prepare like it's real.
He looked up blind date tips on his phone:
Be on time.
Bring a small gift or flowers.
Smile and keep the conversation natural.
Stay calm.
'Stay calm, huh?' Easier said than done.
On his way, he stopped by a small flower shop and bought a simple bouquet. His hands were slightly shaking the whole time.
He checked his appearance again, still looking formal, his long sleeves neat, his hair tidy.
But even with all this effort, his body wouldn't stop shivering.
Before moving closer to the school, he made one more adjustment:
He carefully sorted his items in his inventory and even tried storing a few kitchen knives from his apartment—just in case.
The system accepted them.
Thank god, he sighed. Better safe than sorry.
As the night crept closer, he sat at the nearest convenience store, waiting and watching the clock.
He had no car. No motorcycle.
He would have to walk all the way to the school, late at night.
His plans were tight. His nerves were shot.
His breathing stayed slow and controlled.
Soon, Juhwan found himself standing in front of the school again.
His legs felt heavy, his hands cold, and every step toward the entrance made him want to turn around and run home.
'I don't want to do this. I really don't want to do this…'
But the system's warnings echoed in his head.
Lives are limited. Choices are permanent.
He didn't want to waste a life, not when he didn't even know what dying in this game meant yet.
So he forced himself to enter.
The school at night felt worse than before. The silence, the pressure, it was like the walls remembered him.
Step by step, he followed the map on his phone until it guided him to the school's old garden.
When he arrived, he froze.
In the middle of the overgrown weeds and cracked stone paths, there was a fancy table set, a pristine white tablecloth, two elegant chairs, and even a lit candle in the center.
It looked so out of place.
'What the hell? Is this some kind of joke?'
But he forced himself to keep his cool.
His phone buzzed hard in his pocket.
[Scenario: Blind Date Invitation]
Danger Level: 3 – Quite Dangerous.
His throat dried up.
Level 3.
'Quite dangerous? I'm gonna die tonight, huh?'
Part of him wanted to cry, but another part quickly switched to survival mode.
'Assume I might lose a life tonight. Plan for it.'
Minutes passed as he stood there, scanning the garden.
'Where's my "date"?'
Just to be safe, he activated his Third Eye.
Immediately, faint colors shimmered into view, tiny dancing wisps floating around the garden. They glowed softly, not like spirits from horror games, but more like harmless fragments.
'They didn't seem hostile.'
He let out a small, shaky breath.
'Okay. Good. They're not attacking... Probably.'
Still gripping the bouquet tightly, Juhwan stood by the table, waiting, knowing this night was far from normal.
Juhwan waited in the garden, every second stretching painfully long.
Then—
He felt it.
!!
An ominous presence slammed into him like a wave.
His lungs tightened.
His spine froze.
His entire body screamed to run.
His head turned slowly to the left, almost against his will.
There she was.
A girl in a bloodstained school uniform.
The same uniform he had stored in his inventory.
Her limbs were stitched together crudely, like broken pieces forced to connect.
Long black hair completely covered her face.
Blood dripped from her head, trailing down her pale neck, staining her sleeves.
Her hands were soaked, still fresh with blood.
And her feet… they didn't seem to touch the ground. Was she walking? Floating? He couldn't tell.
A deep red aura pulsed around her, thick and suffocating.
Juhwan's brain stopped. Completely blank.
'I'm dead. I'm gonna die.'
His body shook violently.
He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even open his mouth.
His mind screamed for him to close his eyes, but whenever he tried, her image burned itself into his head, more vivid, more horrifying.
His stomach churned.
But somehow, with every ounce of willpower, he forced himself to stand.
He took a deep, ragged breath, his whole body trembling.
'This is a blind date. A date. I have to play it right. I can't mess up.'
His hand, shaking uncontrollably, slowly extended the bouquet of flowers toward her.
His voice cracked as he forced out the words.
"W-Welcome… to our d-date…"