When I came to, I was standing in the middle of the street.
The sunlight was blazing down.
The sidewalk was bustling with people.
And I stood there, dumbly, in the middle of it all.
It was bright.
The marble floor of the boarding house, splattered with blood, seemed like a dream.
"...Is it lunchtime?"
I slowly turned my head and checked my surroundings.
The 63rd Building appeared in the distance.
Surrounded by various academy buildings.
This was Noryangjin.
"St—"
I started to call out, but stopped for a moment.
It was a word I hadn't spoken in such a long time.
I swallowed dryly again and let the words slip out.
"...Status window."
Poof
[2019, May 26th | Sunday, 12:55 PM]
[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts - 2]
[Ghost Story Points: 581]
[Causality Rate: 32%]
"....."
Fortunately, it truly didn't feel like I had spent years there.
It just felt like I had a long nightmare stretched over several nights.
A very long... truly long nightmare.
I was relieved.
If the age gap with the others had grown any wider, I would've been the first to feel awkward.
"....."
I looked at the Status Window again and checked the date.
´'May 26th.'
Sunday lunchtime.
What was I planning to do at this moment?
Where was I headed?
"....."
As I pondered deeply and lifted my head, a gosi-style restaurant came into view.
'I was just about to go in here.'
Or maybe I was on my way out.
I could see the lunch menu for today written on the standing sign.
[Homemade Chicken Breast Cutlet]
More like chicken tonkatsu.
Seeing that unusual name, memories slowly began to surface.
'....So that's it. It was back then.'
Looking at the menu, I slowly nodded.
That morning, I found Hayoon's room was empty, then Dukhun went back home.
After that, I even kicked Gyeongwon out.
After that, Sunah and Jinhee also went home for their own reasons, so I came here alone that day to have lunch.
'....Gyeongwon, Dukhun, Jinhee.'
And Sunah and Hayoon.
My heart suddenly swelled at the thought of those names, recalling them after such a long time.
It felt like meeting old friends I had long forgotten.
'....Everyone is still alive and here.'
Although I was swept away by the ghost story and not in my right mind, I still dreamed and yearned to return to my school days.
The people trapped into the boarding house always lived with that thought.
'If only I could go back to my school days again...."
If only I could return to those safe days when everything was still in place, before being thrown into the cold society.
How wonderful that would be if only i could go back to that time, when simply being a student gave me a sense of belonging and peace of mind.
Instead of cooped up in a boarding house, miserably studying alone, those days when I hung out with friends, joked around, and prepared for the future together....
'How wonderful it would be..."
That was something I, trapped in the life of a test taker, always longed for.
'And I've come back.'
Back to 2019, to my first year of high school.
There was Gyeongwon, always boasting and prideful, then Dukhun, addicted to games and anime.
Back to the moment when wild Jinhee, cute Sunah, and beautiful Hayoon were all still there.
This time, I could stop it.
The depressing future where everyone ends up taking their own life.
That dark future, lost and adrift in a miserable society.
'It's not too late. Let's start right now.'
I just needed to hurry, reconcile with
everyone, and bring us back together.
Then the six of us could stay together, as the close-knit Ghost Story Club we Once Were.
"Focus. What was I doing here?"
I carefully retraced my actions from that day.
All the things that happened in that previous timeline, it didn't quite feel like I spent years there, but it was not vivid like something that happened just yesterday, either.
Desperately tracing back my hazy memories I walked down the path I guessed I had taken before.
"....After eating lunch alone at the gosi
restaurant, I think I spent some time playing the claw machine.'
And sure enough, after walking a bit, I came across the very shop where I had played.
It was also the place where I hung out with Sunah on the first day.
'I spent nearly an hour here, crazily gambling by myself.'
Where did I go after that?
I slowly followed my memories, tracing the path I had taken in the past.
And before long, I arrived there.
(Noryangjin Tower of Despair)
5th floor Noryangjin Boarding House
4th floor Yulgong Study Longue
3rd floor ljoha Internet Café
2nd floor Exciting Coin Karaoke
1st floor Kim Gun Billiards Club
B1 floor 24-hour Comic Cafe
B2 floor Play Again Bowling Alley
I stood still and glared at it.
As if that towering structure were a
living creature.
I would never forgive it.
This demonic building that devoured our youth, that devoured us.
'I will surely tear you apart.'
...For twenty years.
No matter how ancient you are, no matter how many lives you have corrupted and drawn into yourself.
I will surely break you down, get my revenge, and pull out the people trapped inside you.
"....."
"....."
After briefly having a staring contest with the tower, I soon gathered my Composure and stepped inside.
Then, standing quietly in front of the elevator on the first floor, I rested my chin on my hand, lost in thought.
From here... I think I went to the
bowling alley.
- B2 floor Play Again Bowling Alley-
I went down to the second basement level and quietly gazed at the entrance of the bowling alley.
I didn't go inside right away, but stood in front of the store's entrance, mulling Over my memories, when someone approached me from behind and tapped me on the shoulder.
"Are you here to bowl?"
When I turned around, there stood the skinny, modestly pretty, civil service exam sister with thick prescription glasses.
Just like in the previous timeline, she spoke to me casually.
"You're the new person in Room 8, right?"
"..Yes."
I slowly nodded.
Then she opened the door for me and gestured inside.
"Why are you just standing out here? Come on in. Let's go."
"...I didn't come to bowl, just came down to see what was in the basement."
"Aww, come on. There's nothing to see in this building that's worth coming all the way down to B2. Just come in already."
"...."
She smiled and waved me over.
Eagerly inviting me in.
"If you're just standing here because you don't know how, I'l teach you. Come in with me. I'l let you play for free."
When I didn't respond and just kept staring, she soon walked up to me again with a smile.
"What? Afraid you'l feel guilty for having a little fun?"
She poked me in the side with her long finger.
"It's okay. I just came down to cool
off a bit from studying for the civil
service exam too. If you don't relieve
your stress in time, you won't last long
studying."
"....."
"I'm telling you it's okay~"
Still, as I remained standing quietly,
she pressed her finger harder into my
side and began twisting it playfully.
Poke, poke-
Her long finger dug into my sensitive
side, spinning relentlessly.
She was clearly teasing me on purpose, poking at a man's weak spot.
After a moment, I simply nodded at her with a blank expression and turned around.
"Have fun bowling. And by the way, I have a girlfriend."
"Huh? What?"
The senior sister looked at me with a stunned expression.
I left the basement level where the bowling alley was and headed to the next floor.
-B1 floor 24-hour Comic Café -
'Everyone's still in this building.'
Right before I died, before the Detective pulled the trigger, he told me when I make it back, to go floor by floor and find my friends.
He said none of them went straight home that day.
'....So they're still here?'
All of them.
Even after fighting like that.
An indescribable emotion welled up inside me.
'Even after all that fighting, they were all still here.'
Maybe the lingering attachment.
I quietly clenched and unclenched my fist, letting that truth sink in.
"..You fools.'
A wave of emotion welled up inside me, and I stood there for a moment biting my lip. Then, steeling myself, I opened the door to the comic book café.
Ting~
"Welcome~"
The employee greeted me while making a drink.
I took a moment to look around the café.
'More stylish than I expected.'
I had initially imagined it would be like a traditional comic book shop frequented by older men, but it turned out to be completely different, a bright and stylish place.
The interior was nicely done, just like a
regular café, and most of the customers were young couples.
What stood out was the small, partitioned rooms scattered throughout the space.
It felt almost like a capsule hotel, and near the entrance, a brief guide explained that you could simply take a comic from the bookshelf and read it in any of the small rooms.
'This is a great place to relax.'
The only comics I'd read in book form were things like Survive in XX and a bit of Naruto, so the bookshelves filled to the brim with Japanese manga all felt fascinating to me.
After changing into slippers, I slowly walked around the café, searching for a familiar face.
'..Since it's a comic café, maybe Dukhun is here.'
At first, I quickly scanned mostly the guys, but seeing no familiar faces, I started walking past the rows of rooms, checking each one on the second floor.
Soon, I spotted a pretty girl.
..In Hayoon.
Leaning against the wall of a room on the second floor, Hayoon sat with her slender legs stretched out.
She was quietly reading a book with a blank expression.
After memorizing the location of Hayoon's room, I returned to the counter and ordered two drinks.
"One hour usage and two caramel macchiatos, please."
"Sure~"
The employee who took my order immediately started making the coffee.
Leaning against the counter, I glanced over at Hayoon, who was reading a book in a room on the second floor.
Her small, pale face, sitting with her legs stretched out and fully focused.
She was just as I remembered.
Still beautiful.
Except for the occasional turning of a page, she was so motionless that I almost thought she was a doll. Even her air of calm was the same.
"...."
"...."
If she were that comfortable, you'd think she'd fidget a little, but not a single movement.
'A true proper young lady.'
She really was a unique person.
"Your order is ready~ You can pay later by tapping your shoe locker key, and feel free to sit wherever you like~"
"Yes, thank you."
Just like in a Korean spa, everything was paid afterward with a single electronic key.
I picked up the tray and headed toward Hayoon.
'..In Hayoon. We've finally met.'
During that long. grueling boarding
life, even in moments when I forgot
myself, Hayoon, for some reason,
always stayed in my memory.
Of course, it wasn't with pure intentions. Since I was reduced to nothing but instinct, it was kind of an animalistic regret, the thought that she was incredibly beautiful but I didn't approach her.
'In Hayoon, In Hayoon...."
As I looked up at her again from up close, her beauty struck me all over again, and my heart began to pound.
Even as I looked up from below, Hayoon remained motionless.
Since I couldn't climb the ladder while
holding the tray, I simply stretched my
arms up and slid the drinks onto the
second-floor ledge.
Only then did Hayoon lift her gaze from the book and look at me.
"Hi, Hayoon."
I offered a slightly awkward greeting. Hayoon said nothing and simply stared at me.
"Hup."
I climbed the ladder and entered the room where she was.
Then, leaning back against the opposite wall, I let out a quiet sigh. And finally, Hayoon, who had been silently watching me, parted her lips.
"Did you have a nice meal with Sunah?"
For a moment, my eyes wavered.
I paused to think.
'I see. This is after that incident.'
That morning, I had gotten upset with Hayoon, telling her not to laugh, and then went out to eat with Sunah.
After that, she never showed up again, and just like that, time passed until it was now lunchtime.
'She was here even after that fight.'
I fiddled with my hands for a moment,
then replied.
"...Sunah went home. To take care of her grandmother."
"Is that so?"
Hayoon stared blankly at me.
Her pale and small face made me nervous, so I stammered as I continued speaking.
"...She said she was going home to eat."
"When?"
"...Just a while ago."
"I was talking about this morning."
Hayoon's tone was gentle, but her expression remained blank.
After snapping at her this morning to stop laughing, I left to have breakfast with Sunah.
She was asking if I enjoyed the meal.
'...Am I supposed to answer that?'
I Swallowed dryly and opened my mouth.
"..We just went to a gosi restaurant."
She remained expressionless.
I hurriedly added,
"We just grabbed some thing quick. They didn't even taste good."
"Why did you eat something that didn't taste good?"
Hayoon looked at me and spoke softly.
"You should've eaten something tasty."
"....."
"I still haven't had anything, Joony."
Her tone was gentle.
"I was upset because you said that and left"
"So I didn't eat."
Hayoon spoke calmly.
I could feel sweat naturally forming on my hands.
"..."
"..."
Hayoon just stared at me blankly, and
I avoided her gaze, bowing my head to stare fixedly at her white socks instead.
After a moment, I murmured, my mouth barely opening.
"...You must be really hungry if you
haven't eaten anything since morning."
"I don't think so?"
This time, Hayoon replied in a soft yet firm voice.
"I'm not hungry. My heart just aches so much."
"I don't have an appetite, Joon. Because you said that and stormed out."
Sh-sh*t...
"....."
"...."
Hayoon tilted her head, letting her black hair fall to one side as she looked straight at me, butI could only fidget and keep my gaze fixed on her feet.
In the end, I swallowed dryly and gave a small nod.
I didn't really think I was completely
in the wrong, but still, for now, I should
calm her down first.
"...I'm sorry. It was my fault."
"No. It was my fault, Joon."
Hayoon, still leaning against the wall opposite me and stretching her legs out, looked at me.
"Even if it was funny, I shouldn't have laughed. Right? But I went ahead and
laughed anyway."
"It's my fault. I didn't realize you wanted to be alone with Sunah, I was being clueless."
"Ah, no! It's not like that..."
Only then did I finally lift my gaze from her socks and looked at her face.
Hayoon was laughing.
"....!"
"Oh my "
She covered her mouth at my reaction.
I was left with a dumbfounded expression.
Did I get fooled?
'Oh, I see. Maybe she's half joking and half serious.'
She was just teasing me a bit, but still genuinely upset.
'But I can't let my guard down.'
People who are usually calm are scary when they get angry.
I continued speaking with a suitably
flustered expression.
"...Th-then, how about we talk over a meal first? Even if you're not hungry, skipping two meals i-is bad for your health.....".
"Joony."
Hayoon gave the polite smile she usually showed her classmates.
"Im fine, but if you're hungry, I'll accompany you."
"Ah, yealh. Okay, then..."
I scratched my head and stood up from my seat.
"Th-then, I'll go place the order."
"Yeah."
Hayoon opened her book again. And as I descended the ladder, she added without looking up from the book.
"And I don't drink coffee. Because of the caffeine."
"Oh, yeah. I see."
I muttered quietly, D-didn't know that', and hurried straight to the counter.
"..Let's see. What should I get for
Hayoon?"'
Looking over the menu at the counter,
I found there were more meal options
than I expected.
Wow, they even serve fried rice at a café.
The menu kind of gave off a vibe similar to an internet café? Unlike regular cafés, they charged by the hour, so I guess it benefited them the longer customers stayed.
'Now that I think about it, it's basically
the comic café version of an internet
café.'
I quietly looked over the menu.
..But did I really eat?
It suddenly occurred to me, when time reversed earlier, I couldn't quite remember whether I was about to enter the gosi restaurant or just leaving it. The situation was a bit confusing.
It didn't feel like I spent exactly two whole years but more like I'd been asleep for a long time, so I couldn't remember what I'd been doing minute by minute.
..I am feeling a bit hungry, so I probably didn't eat, right? Well, I was not Dukhun.
With that, I kept looking over the menu and ended up choosing the seafood fried rice for myself.
Then, just as I was about to choose something for Hayoon, I hesitated for a moment.
'What would Hayoon like?'
"And I don't drink coffee. Because of the caffeine."
"Oh, yeah. I see."
I muttered quietly, D-didn't know that', and hurried straight to the counter.
'...Let's see. What should I get for Hayoon?'
Looking over the menu at the counter, I found there were more meal options than I expected.
Wow, they even serve fried rice at a café.'
The menu kind of gave off a vibe similar to an internet café?
Unlike regular cafés, they charged by the hour, so I guess it benefited them the longer customers stayed.
Now that I think about it, it's basically the comic café version of an internet café.'
I quietly looked over the menu.
Going back to ask her felt a bit too embarrassing.
I stood up all confidently like I was gonna make a cool order and now look at me... And besides, Hayoon didn't seem to be in the best mood right now.
She did tease and joked around with me about Sunah, but it was also the truth that even after I snapped at her and left, she stayed here.
'...When girls are in a bad mood, you shouldn't mess with them for no reason. At times like this, you've gotta just pick exactly what they want to eat to lighten the mood.'
That's something I picked up from the internet.
Or else, I should've just asked earlier if I wanted to ask.
...But come to think of it, just like she said she doesn't drink coffee, choosing for her without asking might be a mistake.'
What should I do?
Even in the previous timeline, I only clashed with the uncle-aged leader, and while in that wild kingdom, I stayed true to being forever single.
'If I choose this here... no, if I choose that...'
Trying to read a girl's mind like a total loser, but in the end, I had no clue, so I clenched and unclenched my fists and shuffled back over to where Hayoon was.
As I stood there dumbly and watched her fronm below, Hayoon asked without looking at me.
"What now?"
"...I was wondering."
I asked hesitantly.
"...What should I order for you?"
"..."
Without even glancing up, Hayoon quietly kept reading her book.
Then, with a blank expression, she finally spoke.
"You should've asked earlier, Joon."
"Ah, yeah. Uh. Sorry...."
"Anything is fine."
"...Anything?"
Like a princess, she simply nodded once with a soft 'mmhm'.
With flustered steps, I headed back to the counter.
"..Ah, damn. What should I pick for her?"
If I chose ramen, she would obviously hate it.
Anyway, the moment she saw me, she bluntly asked, so this meal was like making it up to Hayoon for only having breakfast with Sunah that morning.
I should pick something tastier and pricier than what I had with Sunah to avoid any trouble.'
I broke into a cold sweat sifting through all the menu options.
Like a boyfriend struggling to find the
right answer to the question, Don't you
know why I'm mad?.
"Let's see, let's see..."
Large Bibimbap!
"Damn, this obviously isn't it.'
This is the kind of dish that Sunah or Jinhee would gobble up.
'Joon, it's delicious...'
F*ck, it's so good....
Munch munch.
Let me think back. Lately, while preparing for the competition, Hayoon has been ordering the dishes she prefers most.'
"...."
"....."
...Now that I think about it, from what I could remember, she was actually kind of picky with food.
She usually ate things that were expensive but came in small portions.
And even then, on days we ordered stuff like chicken, she often just didn't eat at all.
'Okay. Ramen, skip. Fried rice, skip. Dumplings, skip.. among the bakery
items.....!'
Sandwiches, bagels, scones, croissants.
Bakery's a good bet. I'll choose from here.'
Classy and picky Hayoon would probably go for something like this.
So I filtered out anything too snack-like from the bakery section and looked for something that could pasS as a proper lunch.
'Croissant sandwich, this is it!'
It was not just a plain sandwich with regular bread, it was a fancy croissant with veggies and stuff inside.
'This one matches Hayoon's image pretty well.'
I held out the electronic key and placed the order to the employee at the Counter.
"One seafood fried rice and one croissant sandwich, please. And... also one strawberry yogurt smoothie."
"'Alright, thank you. You can pay all at once when you leave. Please come pick it up when the buzzer goes off."
"Yes, yes."
The strawberry yogurt smoothie was the replacement of the coffee she said she doesn't drink.
And so, I wandered around the store with the buzzer in hand, while Hayoon sat far away in a room on the second floor, like a doll, quietly reading a book.
'...She's probably still mad, right?'
From her perspective, she was just laughing because it was funny, and honestly, I almost burst out laughing too.
But I pretended I wasn't laughing, acted like nothing happened, and suddenly accused Hayoon of being the only one who couldn't read the room, telling her to reflect on herself.
And right after that, I took Sunah and snuck out...
'...It wasn't exactly a lie, but it was still hypocritical of me. If Hayoon had been
watching, she would've noticed 100%.'
Thinking about it that way, it made sense that she'd be upset.
Damn it.
Why do boomers fight so ridiculously? It's the same in a class, too.
When students with a strong presence, like the class president or the delinquents, get into a fight, the whole class freezes and the atmosphere becomes heavy.
But when the worst boonmers fight each other, everyone gathers around to laugh, chatter, and watch the spectacle.
'Ah, thinking about those b*stards makes me want to laugh again.'
I almost burst out laughing again as I thought hought of Gyeongwon screaming with a red face and Dukhun spouting off formal speech at a rapid pace.
But at that moment, when I was actually there, it wasn't funny at all.
Ah~ I should've laughed my head off back then~
I tried to act all serious for no reason. Since we were bound to split up over the ghost story anyway, I should've just laughed my heart out while I could.
Then maybe even if we fought, we could've all just awkwardly laughed it off and moved on.
That was what we lacked then.
The positive mindset to just laugh off little annoyances.
"Your order is ready~"
"Yes, thank you."
Carrying the tray, I headed back to Hayoon.
Now it was time to cheer her up.