Warning: super long chapter be already.
I was carrying a stack of books and waiting at the circulation desk. Not long after, the librarian who also guided the book club stood up from her seat and walked toward me.
"Put them here. Can I put them together? And your student ID card too."
"Yes, here it is."
Beep-beep—
The librarian scanned the barcode on my student ID, then began checking out the books one by one.
Among the pile of books chosen by the club members, a red book without a title was slipped in.
I waited in silence, watching her reaction when she reached that book.
Beep— Beep—
Finally, after scanning Sunah's comic, the librarian picked up the red book.
But without showing any particular expression, she simply scanned the barcode sticker placed in the middle of the cover and handed it back to me.
"Here, all done. The loan period is two weeks. If you return it late, you won't be able to borrow books for the same number of days you're overdue."
"Ma'am, the book you just scanned… what's its title?"
"Hmm?"
"This red book, the one without a title."
"...This one? Let me check for a moment."
The librarian, who didn't look much older than my mother and had a kind face that matched her appearance, checked her monitor without asking too many questions.
"Hmm…"
"....."
"...Want to see it yourself?"
She seemed slightly startled, then turned the monitor toward me.
ספר אדו : Book Title
שטן : Author
Classification Code : 444.4444
"Where did you get this book…?"
With a puzzled look, she stared at me. I just lowered my head, pretending to be casual while glancing at the monitor.
"It seemed like someone left it on the shelf. Since it had no title, I got curious… so I decided to borrow it."
"I see…?"
"Have you never seen this book before either, Ma'am?"
"Yeah, this is the first time I've seen it too. What exactly is this…?"
As she spoke, the librarian reached out, as if wanting to open the book and look inside.
".....!"
I quickly pressed my hand on top of hers, stopping the cursed book from opening.
Slap!
".....?"
"...That um…"
My hand that was pressing down on the librarian's soft and slender hand probably because she spent most of her time working behind the deskmade my head feel strangely blank for a moment. Thankfully, Teacher Jang Hwaeun quickly intervened from the side.
"Ahaha… The kids made a bet, Ma'am. They're trying to guess what's inside this book…"
"....."
"And we agreed that until we get back to the club room, no one is allowed to look yet. Right, Joon?"
With a slightly annoyed face, I nodded.
The librarian tried to pull her hand out from under mine.
I flinched and quickly pulled my hand back, then grabbed the book.
"...Sorry."
"...Yes, it's fine."
The librarian showed an awkward expression and returned to her work.
"Hey, let's go quickly."
"Come on, Club President."
"...Okay."
---
5th Floor, Club Room.
A red book was placed in the center of the table. We all sat in a circle around it.
"Now let's open it."
"Yeah."
Without waiting any longer, I opened the book.
---
[Red Book]
From now on, you are the owner of the Red Book and must act according to the instructions inside it.
If you do not follow the commands in this book, or if you carelessly peek at other pages, a curse will befall you.
If you successfully go through all the choices, carry out the actions, and remain alive until the end, then it is considered complete.
The original owner of this book, the 'Red Woman', is currently hunting you.
If you understand the four rules above, proceed to page 14.
⇨ Page 14
"…What the hell? It says to go to page 14?"
I frowned as I stared at the first page of the book.
The club members beside me also looked on with confused faces.
I read the first page carefully again, then turned to them.
"Alright, if it tells us to go there, let's just follow it. We'll understand once we try."
"U-uhm… yeah…."
Sunah nodded with a frightened face.
I carefully flipped page by page so I wouldn't accidentally peek at the others. Luckily, each page had a small number in the top right corner. I only lifted the corner slightly to check the number, then flipped it without reading.
"Okay, page 14, page 14… Here it is."
After confirming the number 14, I opened the page.
We all leaned in, staring at the contents.
"What does it say here…?"
"…What does this mean? It tells us to go to page 14?
I frowned as I stared at the first page of the book.
The club members beside me also leaned forward, looking utterly confused.
I read the first page carefully again, then turned to them.
"Alright, if it tells us to go there, let's just follow it. We'll understand once we try."
"Um... yeah "
Sunah nodded, her frightened face ]
"...?"
I was still reading with a confused expression when my eyes suddenly widened in shock.
What was written there was exactly what had just happened to us.
"…What is this…?"
"It's us…!?"
The club members' eyes also bulged in shock, just as surprised as I was.
I hurriedly flipped to the next page, then the next, and the next.
"…It's the same here. The following pages are identical too."
---
[…What does this mean? It tells us to go to page 14?
I frowned as I stared at the first page.
The club members beside me leaned in, faces full of confusion.
I read the first page carefully again, then looked at them.
Anyway, if it tells us to go there, let's just follow it. It'll probably make sense once we try."
"U-uhm…"
Sunah nodded, her face pale with fear.]
".....?"
I was still reading with a puzzled look when my eyes suddenly widened.
"This… is about us. Everything here is written exactly as what just happened to us…"
"R-Really…"
The club members stared with the same shocked expressions and nodded quickly.
Then Gyeongwon added in a strained voice:
"…And this is written from the Club President's point of view."
".....!"
I flinched, then hurriedly reread the page carefully.
It was true.
Because it flowed so naturally and felt like my own thoughts, I hadn't noticed at first. But clearly, all the sentences were written in first person and truly reflected my own mind.
Sunah, who had been staring intently at the page, slowly turned to me and whispered:
"Joon… the writing here… it really is your own thoughts, right…?"
I examined the pages in front and behind once more, and finally could only nod.
"…Yeah. Those are really my thoughts."
"I… my face looked scared…"
Sunah blushed in embarrassment after reading the part that described her nodding with a scared face.
Soon after, Jinhee frowned in annoyance and patted my arm twice.
"Hey, keep flipping. Is this just going to keep repeating like this?"
"Wait a second."
I flipped to the next page.
Page after page continued to describe our situation. Until finally, when we reached the part where we were shocked because we were reading about ourselves being shocked… it kept looping in a dizzying way.
Finally, on page 22, new choices appeared.
"Ah, something's different now."
"Where, where?"
The club members and the teacher all crowded closer.
Seven people pressing their faces to one book—the space was so cramped that everyone could feel each other's breath, but no one cared because they were all focused on the content.
Keep trembling in fear together with the club members → Page 31
For now, follow the book's instructions → Page 35
"Wait. Don't choose yet, President. Don't flip the page too quickly."
Just as I was about to turn to the chosen page, Gyeongwon quickly stopped me.
"Why?"
"That… I think…"
I lifted my hand, stopped following the book's instructions, and waited. Gyeongwon, who looked deep in thought, finally nodded slowly and spoke with conviction:
"I remember, Perz . This is called a 'gamebook'."
"…Gamebook?"
I furrowed my brow. I had never heard the term before. Gyeongwon nodded firmly.
"A type of book that was popular in the 80s. In the middle of the story, the reader is given choices, and depending on the choice, they flip to a certain page and the story continues based on that decision."
"…I see?"
I examined the open page again and nodded.
"I've never heard of gamebooks before, but I can understand how it works. So basically, we choose an option and flip to the corresponding page. But… are there any tips or tricks?"
The principle was simple: pick one and follow it.
The confusing part was that the book's content perfectly matched our own story.
But if this genre had existed since the 80s, there should be some clichés or special tricks to win, right?
However, Gyeongwon only shook his head with an awkward expression.
"No, Prez . There aren't any tips. A gamebook isn't a genre of story, it's a writing format. The content depends entirely on the author."
"…But there must be at least some similarities, right?"
"Hmm… if I had to say one thing…"
Gyeongwon pushed his glasses up his nose. "…Almost all of them have multiple endings."
"If you choose the wrong option, it doesn't just affect the story path. The choice directly leads to an ending. Since this is a physical book with a limited number of pages, the story can't branch too wildly."
"So if you choose wrong, instead of continuing, you just die?"
"Yeah… probably? Especially with the 'Red Book' and 'curse' keywords, I doubt the story is peaceful."
I nodded slowly at Gyeongwon's explanation.
Then I turned to Deokhun.
"Aren't the visual novels you play often similar to this? Just text, choices, then continue. Any tips?"
"Hmm. Tips, huh. Let me think…"
Deokhun tilted his chin up, looking thoughtful.
"…The main one is probably: don't pick the obviously weird choices."
"Really?"
"Hmm… wait, maybe not…"
Deokhun looked confused again and shook his head.
"Now that I think about it, I'm not sure either. Sometimes the weird choices lead to the best events."
"So there's no other way except trying it directly."
I adjusted my sitting position and stared intently at the book.
The club members straightened up, their faces tense, waiting for my choice.
'The only winning condition is to survive.'
If I could get through all the branching choices, follow every action, and stay alive until the end, then this ghost story would be over.
But there was another variable: since the book was opened, its original owner—the Red Woman—was on her way to hunt me down.
'Of course I can't get caught. I have to avoid her.'
And there was one more thing I absolutely couldn't do.
If I got curious about an unchosen option and carelessly opened another page, I would be cursed.
What kind of curse it was wasn't specified. But I had no intention of finding out.
'Easy. After all, I have infinite lives.'
Even if I chose wrong, I could just try again.
Still, dying would wear down my mental state, so I had to limit it. But I was confident I could clear it in just a few tries.
I was still trembling in fear together with the club members → Page 31
First, act according to the book's instructions. → Page 35
---
( continue from page 30)
[Choice: Stay with the members and tremble in fear]
"Are you scared, Joon…?"
"President…."
The club members looked at me with pitying faces.
But Teacher Jang Hwaeun approached me, massaged my shoulders, and scolded the others.
"Come on, kids. We've touched a cursed book and now some weird woman is chasing us. It's normal to be scared. Aren't you guys scared too?"
"Well, yeah, but…"
"Besides, we already promised Joon we wouldn't say things like that anymore, right? Remember?"
"Y-Yeah… that's true…"
With a gentle tone, Teacher Jang Hwaeun reminded them of the promise, and the club members quickly nodded nervously.
As if seeking protection, Sunah pressed herself tightly against my side.
"J-Joon. Actually, I'm scared too… of things like this…"
"I-I'm scared too, President. Haha…"
Gyeongwon said that while taking a step back with an awkward, forced laugh.
Soon after, Jinhee patted my back, and Deokhun quickly raised both hands and shouted.
"Hey, relax. If a ghost appears, just hug your big sis."
Hayoon also reached out, placed her hand on mine, and looked at me deeply.
In that awkward atmosphere, I shyly pulled my hand away from their touch.
"…I just wanted to see what would happen if I chose this option. It's not like I'm actually scared. I've experienced this kind of thing many times already."
"yo yo, have you be became a man now ~?"
After telling Teacher Jang Hwaeun, who was still massaging my shoulder, that I was fine, I turned to page 35, as I should have done from the beginning.
---
First, follow the book's instructions.
⇨ Page 35
(continue from page 30)
[Choice: First, follow the book's instructions]
"Okay. For now, let's just follow what the book says."
After making that decision, I flipped the page. The instruction on the next page was simple.
I grabbed my weapon and left the club room.
⇨ Page 37
"…Grab your weapon?"
When I was about to open page 37, Hayoon pulled my hand and whispered softly.
"Joon, it says you don't just flip to the indicated page—you also have to follow the command. If you don't, you'll be cursed."
"…You're right."
Soon after, we club members went out into the corridor, each carrying cutters, pens, and similar items.
"If we're talking about weapons, these can count as weapons too. They'd hurt if they hit someone."
There were actual weapons in the club room, like a baseball bat.
But we deliberately brought small tools because we were worried the book might force us into dangerous choices.
"There might be choices later that ask us to commit crimes. Just being told to bring 'weapons' already feels ominous. Be careful."
"Good idea, Joon~"
Teacher Jang Hwaeun appeared carrying a rattan cane and smiled sweetly. She seemed proud that we were trying to stay as safe as possible within student limits.
"Alright, let's see what we have to do next."
Kill Teacher Jang Hwaeun
⇨ Page 39
Search for the Red Woman
⇨ Page 55
---
( continue from page 38)
[Choice: Kill Teacher Jang Hwaeun]
"Kyaaaak…"
The moment I chose that option and flipped the page, Teacher Jang Hwaeun—who had been watching us—screamed in shock and hurriedly ran down the stairs until she disappeared.
"J-Joon…!? Why did you choose that? The teacher ran away…!?"
Sunah panicked and looked at me accusingly. Jinhee stepped forward and calmed the shaken Sunah.
"Hey, calm down. From what I read, the other choice wasn't normal either. He probably had no choice, right?"
Jinhee said while looking at me, as if asking for understanding.
I just nodded slowly and looked back at the Red Book in my hands.
Two new choices had now appeared related to what I had just done.
"P-prez. Don't choose by yourself suddenly. Let's discuss it first so what just happened doesn't repeat."
"Sorry, but I want to choose alone."
I answered shortly and stared at the book by myself.
After showing such an inhumane attitude toward Teacher Jang Hwaeun, who had been like a savior to me, I thought it would be better to pick the most reckless option: die once and get it over with.
"Prez! Don't choose alone, let's do it togeth—"
"Sorry, but the difference won't be big." I ignored their protests and read the choices.
Walk and search for the Red Woman
⇨ Page 42
Burn the book
⇨ Page 48
---
( continue from page 41)
[Choice: Walk and search for the Red Woman]
Since I had already shown an inhumane attitude toward Teacher Jang Hwaeun, I decided to quickly find the true form of the Red Woman who was supposedly chasing me, then return.
"I told you, from now on what we're going to do—"
Thud— thud— thud
Suddenly, someone climbed the stairs with heavy steps, as if very angry.
I stopped talking and turned my head. It was Teacher Jang Hwaeun, who had run down earlier in shock. She was now climbing back up with a flushed face, leaping up two or three steps at a time.
In one hand, she was holding a kitchen knife.
"....."
Her face was dark red, veins bulging as if she wanted to pounce. She rushed down the corner of the stairs in a hurry, saw me, shouted "Wah!" with a wide smile, and raised the knife.
'…she got Possessed!'
Thud— thud— thud
While the club members panicked and confused, the teacher pushed aside Jinhee and Sunah who tried to block her, then charged at me and stabbed me repeatedly with the knife.
She snatched the Red Book I was holding and ran away in a panic.
"Ugh! Ugh…."
"J-Joon-ah! Joon…!"
The members gathered around me with tearful faces. Hayoon tried to stop the bleeding, but I signaled them to be quiet and let me go.
"Leave it… it's fine…"
"P-President…."
They stepped back, starting to understand my intention.
As my consciousness began to fade, I closed my eyes and thought that this time I needed to choose a different path.
[You have died.]
[Restarting from the checkpoint.]
[Loading…]
⇨ Page 46
"...."
Back from death, I regained consciousness in the corridor in front of the club room.
The club members stood around me, while from inside the club room, Teacher Jang Hwaeun came out carrying a rattan cane and smiling kindly.
'Oh, so this means we're back to the first time we chose to grab weapons and leave the club room.'
It was still very early in the story.
It seemed this was the first major branching point.
This time, I had to choose a different option.
Thinking that, I looked down at the book.
Kill Teacher Jang Hwaeun
⇨ Page 39
Search for the Red Woman
⇨ Page 55
[Choice: Burn the book]
"Jinhee, give me fire."
"…What? Fire?"
"A lighter. Quick."
Jinhee looked at me in confusion but then reached into her pocket and pulled out a lighter with a Pokémon Charmander breathing fire on it, and handed it to me.
Click—
"..."
I sat in the corridor and calmly began burning the book.
If the contents were just weird choices like this, it would be better to destroy it than blindly follow its orders.
The hardcover cover was a bit hard to burn, but once I opened it and started burning the pages one by one, the fire quickly spread and devoured the entire book.
Fwoosh—
The Red Book burned completely, releasing thick smoke.
The club members could only watch with anxious faces. Even Jinhee, who had given me the lighter, finally asked worriedly.
"Hey, is it really okay to burn it without thinking? Is it safe?"
"Probably. The initial warning didn't say 'don't damage the book.'"
"Yeah, but still…"
The club members looked down at the book with worried faces.
However, no matter what, more than half of the cursed book had already been consumed by the flames.
Thick smoke rose for a moment, but since it was only one book, no one in the other classrooms busy with their extracurricular activities noticed.
Fwoosh
Chiik—
"..."
Finally, the book burned completely, leaving behind fragile black charcoal.
I stared at the pile of ashes and muttered quietly.
"…Damn. The 'Complete' message didn't appear."
"Then what now, Joon…?"
"I don't know…"
I frowned, trying to think. At that moment, Gyeongwon suddenly spoke as if he had realized something.
"President, remember the warning on the first page? 'If you go through all the branching choices in this book and remain alive, then it is considered Complete.' So maybe, other than that method… there's no other way to finish it."
"…You're right."
I stared at the remaining black ashes and murmured. But what was done was done.
"Alright, let's just wait and see what happens."
---
A few hours later.
Until the extracurricular activities ended and school let out, nothing strange occurred. Wondering whether I should die and try again or what I should do next, I eventually went home.
'The lights are on? Mom must be home.' She probably got off work early today.
Ding-dong~♬
"I'm home~"
"Welcome back, son~"
As I took off my shoes and stepped inside, my mother appeared from the kitchen, cooking. But her face was flushed red, and she slowly poked her head out from around the corner.
"Hand over the bookkkkkkkk---!"
[You have died.]
[Restarting from checkpoint.]
[Loading…]
⇨ Page 46
---
Continuing from page 38
[Choice: Search for the Red Woman]
I remembered the warning on the first page of the book.
The Red Woman, the original owner of the book, was hunting me.
Of course she wasn't chasing me with good intentions.
If she caught me, I would definitely die.
'But you're telling me to go look for her first?'
It was outrageous, but this was the most reasonable choice.
Because the other option was to kill Teacher Jang Hwaeun who was standing right beside me — an option that should never be chosen.
"When we were told to bring weapons, we only brought pens and mechanical pencils, right? In the same way, it's better to choose the vaguer option so we can interpret it in a way that suits us."
"Seems like it~"
The teacher agreed while tapping her rattan cane with a smile.
---
A moment later.
We gathered closely and boldly walked around the quiet main school building.
"Because it's extracurricular time, the corridors are empty as usual."
"Let's just walk slowly and carefully."
Since we were told to search, we did search — but since we had no idea what we were looking for, we just wandered around aimlessly.
'But if we actually find her, it'll be dangerous.'
I patted Sunah's back as she stared wide-eyed in every direction.
"You don't have to look that hard. The real problem is if we actually run into her."
As the warning stated, if the Red Woman was chasing us, meeting her would clearly lead to something bad.
While walking down the hallway, the teacher suddenly asked us:
"Hey kids, why do you think most ghosts are women?"
"…Women, Ma'am?"
"Yeah. Don't you think it's strange?"
Teacher Jang Hwaeun looked into another classroom with a curious expression.
"In Korea, famous ghosts are usually women, right? Like the Hong Kong Granny, the Red Mask, and so on…"
"What's the Hong Kong Granny, Ma'am?"
"It exists, President. A really old ghost."
"…I see?"
Gyeongwon pushed up his glasses and nodded slowly.
"Now that I think about it, you're right, President. At the beginning of the semester you also met that 'Smiling Woman.'"
"Smiling Woman… that's true."
"It's been a while."
"When I think about it, we've encountered way more female ghosts than male ones. What do you think, President?"
"Hm, well…"
Since I had often pondered this myself, I could answer right away.
"…Because women are scarier than men?"
"Joon… are you afraid women…?"
"That's not what I mean. Let me explain~"
For example, back then we met a mother ghost and I managed to drive her away by imitating a mother-in-law's voice.
If it hadn't been a mother ghost but a father ghost instead, what would have happened?
"If a mother comes running at you with her arms outstretched, it's terrifying. But if it's a father running with his arms out?"
"…It actually looks kinda funny."
"Right?"
Instead of thinking "ghost," the first thought would be, "What prank is Dad pulling now~"
The same goes for a smiling man — he's not as scary as a smiling woman. A man in red clothes is clearly not as frightening as a woman in red.
If you meet a man standing alone on the street at midnight, your first impression is physical threat/crime.
But if you meet a woman with long hair covering her face in the middle of the night, the fear feels more spiritual and psychological.
"Maybe because of that psychological factor, many ghost stories feature female ghosts. So it makes sense that the ghosts we encounter are mostly women."
"That makes sense."
While walking through the empty corridor, I suddenly glanced at Hayoon.
Among our club members, she had the longest hair and the palest skin.
During the day she looked beautiful like this, but if you met her in the middle of the night, she would probably look the most like a ghost out of all of us.
"President, it looks like we've almost finished circling the entire main building, including the first floor. Is there still no clue in the book?"
"Hm, let me check."
I opened the book and flipped through a few pages, then quickly closed it when I found the description of myself staring at Hayoon and thinking she was beautiful.
Then I opened it just a little so no one could peek and checked the next page.
Two new choices appeared:
Turn In Hayoon into the Red Woman
⇨ Page 65
Enter the toilet to continue the search
⇨ Page 84
---
Continuing from page 64
**[Choice: Turn In Hayoon into the Red Woman]**
The choices in this book were supposed to help me avoid being chased by the Red Woman.
But this choice was giving me instructions that led me straight to her.
In that case, there was only one way.
'Defeat the chasing ghost first, then safely carry out the choice afterward!'
With this choice, it meant I could confront her directly.
The moment I flipped the page—
Hayoon's eyes suddenly widened, and both her hands gripped her own neck tightly.
"...!"
"...!?"
Without hesitation, she began strangling herself with all her strength.
"Ugh, uhh…! W-Why…"
Her face turned red from the pain, her body swayed uncontrollably, then she stumbled sideways and slammed into the wall, shaking violently.
"What the— what is this?!"
"Why are you suddenly doing that!?"
Jinhee and the teacher panicked and rushed over.
Hayoon kept trembling, then finally collapsed to the floor.
Veins bulged on her pale face, and a red tint slowly crept across her skin.
"Let her go! Pull her hands away!"
"Ugh, uhh…! Uggh… uhh…"
The commotion made several other students who were doing club activities peek out into the corridor in confusion.
Even though the club members tried hard to pull her hands away, Hayoon thrashed wildly. Then, with her remaining strength, she shoved them aside and lunged straight at me.
"....."
Bugh!
I was hit by Hayoon's sudden leap and sent crashing to the floor.
Meanwhile, even while still strangling her own neck, Hayoon pinned the fallen Red Book down with her elbow and roughly flipped through the pages.
Finally, she reached a certain page with her elbow.
Only then did she lift her face toward me — her face already deep red from strangulation.
[Special Skill: Lip Reading activated.]
["Joon, you're too cruel. I will never forgive you."]
After those words, Hayoon's already red face grew even more tense. She stuck her tongue out as far as it would go, then thud!her body collapsed sideways.
Even as she fell, both hands continued strangling her neck without stopping.
I, still sprawled on the floor, crawled slowly and peeked at the book to see which choice she had selected.
⇨ Page 70
[Choice: Become the Red Woman and take revenge on Joon.]
---
The next day.
Hayoon's funeral was held.
Even though her family background was known to be extremely wealthy, the funeral was simple, held at an ordinary funeral home.
Perhaps because she had died at school with many witnesses, her family deliberately chose a small, quiet venue.
And the most ironic part was that the duty of carrying her coffin fell to me and the club members — the very people who had caused her death.
"How should I put it, Joon… The people who said they would come suddenly couldn't be reached. So… please help us out…"
Was the police investigation true — that she really had no family?
At the funeral, only a few teachers including our homeroom teacher and some unfamiliar strangers were present.
Even the church congregation where her family was registered seemed to have held a separate funeral service elsewhere.
As a result, at the funeral home where the actual body was, almost no one attended.
In the end, the homeroom teacher who stayed until the end asked our Ghost Story Club to help carry the coffin.
The six of us could only nod in agreement.
"Alright, lift it now. One, two, three!"
At the homeroom teacher's command from the front, we lifted the coffin together.
The coffin was very heavy, so six people carried it — three on each side.
Coincidentally, after losing Hayoon, our club had exactly six members left, which perfectly matched the number needed.
"Hup! Lift!"
Even though we lifted it together, the weight made us shout for strength. When I let out that shout, some of the club members carrying it looked at me with gloomy faces.
Teacher Jang Hwaeun at the front even carried the coffin while shedding tears.
As I walked, I kept watching the lid of the coffin, afraid that Hayoon might suddenly jump out.
"Hiks… hiks…"
Suddenly, soft sobbing could be heard. When I turned, I saw Sunah crying.
As far as I remembered, Sunah didn't particularly like Hayoon, but since they had been in the same class for a semester, she still shed tears.
"Hup! Lift! Hoit!"
When my arms started to hurt, I switched hands, and we finally managed to carry the coffin out of the funeral home.
"Yes, this way. Put it in the lower luggage compartment of the bus."
Following the homeroom teacher's instructions as he walked ahead, we pushed the coffin into the bus's luggage compartment.
"Now we're heading to the graveyard. Come on, Ghost Story Club members, get on the bus too."
I followed from behind and boarded the bus after Teacher Jang Hwaeun and Sunah, who was quietly wiping her tears.
Jinhee, Gyeongwon, and Deokhun didn't cry, but their faces had been gloomy the whole time.
Shortly after we sat down, the driver started the engine and the bus departed. The homeroom teacher stood at the front with a somber face and picked up the microphone.
"Thank you for taking the time to send Hayoon off to her final resting place. As you saw during the ceremony, Hayoon had no family members come to the funeral home… So, as her homeroom teacher, I had no choice but to handle everything myself…"
When the homeroom teacher paused for a moment because his voice choked with emotion, sobbing could be heard again from several passengers on the bus.
"But it's embarrassing — as her homeroom teacher, I didn't actually know Hayoon that well. I should have been closer to her, but as you all know, Hayoon wasn't the talkative type…"
"Hiks hiks…"
In the back seat, Teacher Jang Hwaeun wiped her tears.
The homeroom teacher continued with a gloomy expression as the shaking bus kept moving.
"All I know is that she liked books and was always quiet… She wasn't the type to open up easily to others, but she wasn't a disliked child either. I'm sure the whole class liked Hayoon, and she didn't hate any of you. Especially your Ghost Story Club…"
When our club was mentioned, the members who had been looking down slowly raised their heads.
The homeroom teacher looked at us with a warm smile as if to comfort us, then put the microphone back to his lips.
"Your club was the only place where Hayoon opened up. From what I saw, she seemed happy to be with you there. Why are you looking down, Ghost Story Club members… Hayoon's death is not your fault…"
The bus sped along the quiet road, passed through the graveyard gate, and picked up even more speed.
"I'm sure Hayoon would think the same…"
"Why are you talking like that? Aren't you the ones at fault? Weren't you the ones who killed her…? Do we look stupid? You murderers' club…"
Several congregation members on the bus slowly stood up and stared at us while brandishing knives.
The bus's speed increased, and the homeroom teacher looked at us again with that same warm smile.
"You will all die together here today. Especially you, Joon the murderer… I hope you live well in the afterlife. I'll be joining you too…"
Vrooooom~!!
The bus raced down the road, smashing the side mirrors of several passenger cars that tried to overtake it, shattering them.
I thought about jumping out the window, but the congregation members pressed knives to our necks, ordering us to stay still.
Suddenly, Teacher Jang Hwaeun looked toward the window and screamed.
"Hayoon…!"
I turned quickly. From under the bus, Hayoon — her face bright red — had pried open the luggage compartment cover and crawled up, pressing herself against the window glass and staring at us.
"Hah, hah…! What the hell is this…!"
The homeroom teacher, still holding the microphone, flinched and gasped.
Even so, the bus continued speeding toward its destination, crashing through the road barrier and plunging off a cliff.
"Aaaaa—!"
"Kyaaa—!"
Inside the bus that was falling vertically, we all screamed as we were thrown toward the driver's cabin.
As the bus rolled 90 degrees and slammed into the ground, red-faced Hayoon flew down from above.
"Joon, Joon."
A few seconds before the bus hit the ground, Hayoon suddenly opened the window and jumped inside.
She landed on top of me, then sat down straddling me. Hayoon leaned down, looked into my eyes, and whispered softly.
[Special Skill: Lip Reading activated.]
[Sunah's hands are surprisingly strong. It hurts.]
"...!?"
[The Red Woman is inside me now. You should finish this quickly, Joon.]
She muttered those hard-to-understand words, then suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
"Use that. What I just said."
Right at that moment, the bus slammed into the ground with a tremendous impact, and I felt a massive blow.
Kra-kra-kraang—boom—!
[You have died.]
[Restarting from checkpoint.]
[Loading…]
⇨ Page 46
---
I opened page 64.
[Choice: Go to the toilet to investigate further]
From the 5th floor where the club room was, I went down while checking every corridor one by one.
Some teachers gave us sharp looks when they saw our group walking together, but since Teacher Jang Hwaeun was with us as supervisor, they didn't say much.
"The problem is, even after walking around like this, there are still no strange signs."
"Hey, do we really have to look for that girl…?"
While walking down the corridor, Deokhun asked with a worried face that didn't match his large build.
"She's the original owner of the book… if she's chasing us, it's obvious she wants to harm us. So why are we the ones going through the trouble of searching for her…"
"That's exactly the ironic part."
I nodded slowly.
"We have to follow the book's choices while avoiding being chased by her. But strangely, the choices keep leading us to meet her."
"So we need a way to resolve both at the same time. Right, President?"
Gyeongwon pushed up his glasses while looking at me.
"We have to complete the mission given by the Red Book and at the same time survive the woman. Both must be done. You already have a plan, right, President?"
Gyeongwon looked at me with full confidence.
'What are you talking about? I haven't thought of one either.'
Still, I could roughly estimate how far I had progressed.
I picked up the book, compared its thickness with my current position to measure how much I had read.
"…We're at page 87 now. So about halfway."
The choices in this book made us jump back and forth between pages, but in the end, the conclusion must be at the final page.
'If I reach there, maybe the way to finish it will become clear.'
Most importantly, I still hadn't encountered the woman who was supposedly chasing me.
I didn't know yet whether she was a real monster like the "Smiling Woman," a ghost, a human, or just some strange phenomenon.
'Looks like I'll have to meet her and die once to find out.'
Following the book's choice, I had to stop by the toilet to continue investigating.
I turned to the club members and gave instructions.
"We've already circled every floor of the main building corridors. Now we need to check the toilets one by one. Let's split up here and check each floor."
"Hey, splitting up is a death flag, you know."
"But we can't go into the girls' toilets anyway, and extracurricular time is almost over."
I checked the time through the status window and reassured them.
"The bell will ring soon and students will flood out. We need to check quickly while it's still quiet."
Splitting up was indeed a death flag, but since I was already halfway through and hadn't found a solution, I was resigned to dying once more if needed.
"The girls' toilet team will be supervised by Teacher Jang Hwaeun. The boys come this way. We split here."
"Come on, kids~ over here~"
"Yes…"
Sunah walked toward the teacher with a reluctant look, as if she didn't want to separate from me.
I called Deokhun and Gyeongwon to the side of the corridor to decide the order.
"Open every door, check the cleaning supply closets too, and check the outside windows. We have time before the bell rings, so divide the tasks so we can be thorough. I'll assign floors to each of you. Anyone want to pick a floor?"
"I want the 5th floor toilet."
Deokhun quickly secured the floor where the club room was.
"So I can rest in the club room right after."
"What about you, Gyeongwon?"
"I'm fine with anything. Whatever's left."
"Alright. Then I'll—"
I told the club members which toilet floors I wanted to check.
Check the 1st floor toilet here now ⇨ Page 93
Check the 2nd floor toilet (teachers' area) ⇨ Page 104
For some reason I want to check the 3rd floor toilet ⇨ Page 137
Check the 4th floor toilet (science lab area) ⇨ Page 14~
---
From page 92
[Choice: Check the 1st floor toilet here now]
We are currently on the 1st floor.
I chose the 1st floor toilet.
"I'll handle floors 1 and 2. Gyeongwon, you take floors 3 and 4. Deokhun, floor 5. Let's go."
"Good luck."
"See you alive again."
Gyeongwon and Deokhun waved at me and went up the stairs together.
Left alone, I rolled my wrists a bit and stared at the corridor where I stood.
"Hoo… Alright let see"
---
The main school building has a simple layout: 1st floor for first-year classes, 2nd floor for second-year classes, and 3rd floor for third-year classes.
Here on the 1st floor, it was obviously filled with first-year classrooms, including my own.
At the end of the corridor stood the library, counseling room, infirmary, and the principal's office in a row.
"Alright, let's check it out."
I stretched my wrists and walked toward the boys' toilet at the end of the corridor.
I saw it.
"Hoo, okay. Let's check."
Our school's main building has a simple structure: 1st floor for first-years, 2nd floor for second-years, 3rd floor for third-years.
This 1st floor was clearly packed with first-year classrooms, including my own.
Besides that, at the end of the corridor were the library, counseling room, infirmary, and principal's office lined up.
"Alright, let's inspect it."
I stretched my wrists as I walked toward the boys' toilet at the end of the corridor.
However, just as I took a step, the door to the staff-only toilet suddenly swung open wide and out came Principal Shin Moonhyeop.
I pretended not to notice and quickly sped up, but a voice immediately called out from behind.
"Hey, student!"
"..."
"Come here for a second. Don't pretend you're in a hurry."
I felt a bit tense, turned around, and bowed 90 degrees in greeting.
"Good afternoon."
"Why are you wandering around during club activity time?"
"Uh… I just wanted to go to the toilet…"
"Your club is on which floor that you came all the way down to the 1st floor?"
"....."
"Lift your head. What grade are you in?"
I slowly raised my head and faced the principal, who was approaching with full authority.
Principal Shin Moonhyeop, a middle-aged man full of energy, carefully examined my face and name tag. His expression suddenly changed.
"…Hmm? Aren't you the first-year student who participated in the competition not long ago?"
"Ah, yes, that's right…"
"Gold medal winner? If I remember correctly, I was the one who gave you the award, right?"
"Yes, exactly…"
"Wow~ Nice to meet you again!"
The principal's expression brightened, and he laughed heartily while patting my back.
"How are you? Doing well? You're preparing for final exams now, right?"
"Yes, more or less…"
"Hahaha, good. School competitions are important, but don't neglect your report card grades either. You need balance in both — that's what makes a wise student."
With a big smile, the principal continued giving encouragement.
Then, suddenly, he let me go.
"Alright then, carry on. Keep up the good work!"
"Thank you very much, sir…"
I bowed once more to the still warmly smiling principal and hurriedly headed to the toilet at the end of the corridor.
Once I arrived, I let out a long sigh.
Of course, I had left the room with permission from my club advisor, so it shouldn't be a problem. Still, facing the most powerful person in the school directly made me quite nervous.
"…But achievements really do make a difference."
Both competition results and academic grades.
Teachers were clearly more lenient toward students who showed potential.
"Hmm, 1st floor toilet…"
This was the toilet on the same floor as my classroom, so I came here often. Besides, this toilet had appeared quite frequently in ghost stories.
At the beginning of the semester, this was where the possessed Teacher Jang Hwaeun had asked me for white tissue paper.
During the apocalypse event, I had used this toilet as an alibi, claiming I had never gone to meet the fake police officer.
"Alright, let's inspect this place."
Glek—
"...?"
I bravely grabbed the door handle, but the toilet door was locked from the inside.
'What is this? Why won't it open?'
While I was still struggling with the handle, I suddenly sensed someone entering through the side door of the main building behind me.
The person seemed to be walking quickly toward me, so I released the handle and turned around.
It was Mr. Kim from the maintenance room, carrying several tools.
"…Ah, hello."
I greeted him awkwardly. He only gave a short nod from behind his neat mustache and placed his tools beside me.
Then, from his tool bag, he took out a laminated A4 sheet and stuck it on the toilet door.
[Under Repair – Do Not Enter]
That was what was written on the warning sign.
'…So it really is broken.'
*Kriiik—*
Using the administration office key, he opened the door and went inside.
Inside, the faucet seemed broken — the entire toilet floor was flooded.
'Looks like I can't go in.'
Mr. Kim put on rubber boots and walked in with *chapak-chapak* sounds, starting to repair the plumbing. I only peeked in from outside for a moment before giving up.
'If my socks get wet, that's a big problem.'
And since Mr. Kim was casually moving around inside, it seemed the "Red Woman" wasn't here.
After confirming the 1st floor, I turned around and decided to head up to the 2nd floor.
I started checking the toilet on the 2nd floor.
⇨ Page 105
Page 92 (from previous choice)
[Choice: Check the 2nd floor toilet (teachers' area)]
"I'll check the 2nd floor toilet. Gyeongwon, you circle from floor 1 to 3 and 4, okay? Good luck."
"Uhyoo~"
Gyeongwon turned around without saying much and walked toward the boys' toilet at the end of the 1st floor corridor.
I went up the stairs with Deokhun, parted ways on the 2nd floor, and walked toward the toilet at the end of the corridor.
"See you upstairs~"
"Okay."
'2nd floor. This is where the second-year classrooms are, and the main teachers' office is here too.'
Our school's structure is simple: 1st floor for first-years, 2nd floor for second-years, 3rd floor for third-years.
Of course, there weren't only classrooms — there were various other rooms too. Specifically on the 2nd floor was the large teachers' office where all the teachers worked.
'I should hurry before anyone gets suspicious.'
As I walked while thinking that, right at the end of the main teachers' office, the door suddenly slid open with a drreuk and out came Vice Principal Jang Yeook along with Counseling Teacher Ryu Jinah.
"The psychology club you mentioned earlier seems like a very good idea. We'll consider implementing it during club activity time."
"Thank you very much."
I quickly slipped the Red Book inside my uniform and awkwardly lowered my head as I passed them. The vice principal and Teacher Ryu Jinah only glanced at me briefly before continuing their conversation.
"However, since students rarely change clubs mid-semester, even if permission is granted, it probably won't open until after summer vacation and the start of the second semester."
"It would be nice if it could be faster, but well, it can't be helped. In that case—"
As I walked past them, I kept listening until their voices grew distant and faded away.
'Is Counseling Teacher Ryu Jinah trying to create a club with herself as advisor?'
Of course, it definitely wouldn't be a normal club.
It could be a place where students sit in rows and she hypnotizes them all until their souls are sucked out.
'Just like when she came to us in elementary school, gave us medicine, and made us dazed and helpless.'
"..."
I recalled that day for a moment, and without realizing it, my face turned red.
For some reason, every time I remembered Teacher Ryu Jinah whispering soft words, calming me, hugging me, stroking me, and comforting me… it felt strange.
'Snap out of it. Everyone has experienced that. Eunjang too, Jinhee too.'
Moreover, with this repeating cycle of death, my mental state was already fragile. Several times I had even lashed out at the other members for no reason.
If I let my guard down even a little, I felt like I might run straight into Teacher Ryu Jinah's arms like a baby running to its mother.
I gritted my teeth and desperately suppressed that urge.
'…Huuuh.'
Before I knew it, I was already standing in front of the boys' toilet at the end of the corridor.
I rubbed my hands together, prepared myself carefully, and stared at the door.
'Alright, let's go in.'
And right as I was about to open the door—
"Hello?"
A sudden voice beside me made me flinch.
It was the soft voice of an older woman — the kind of voice that could disarm a younger person's wariness.
Still holding the door handle, I slowly turned my head to the side.
"Why are you standing here without going in?"
There stood Counseling Teacher Ryu Jinah, smiling after finishing her conversation with the vice principal. She had followed me from behind.
Did she deliberately come after me?
Since she was a teacher, I eventually opened my mouth to answer.
"…I'm about to go in now."
"Your face earlier looked like you were hesitating in front of the toilet door."
She smiled and stepped closer.
"No one told you to come in just to bother you, right?"
"…No, it's not that…"
I answered hesitantly. Teacher Ryu Jinah slightly bent her knees and looked down at me as if she were looking at a small child.
Even though I was taller, her attitude and atmosphere somehow made me feel exactly like a kindergarten student being looked down upon.
"If that's the case, why aren't you going in?"
"I was just… thinking a little…"
"Do you know who I am?"
She smiled gently.
I hesitated, then nodded.
"…The counseling teacher."
"Correct. I work in the new counseling room on the 1st floor, next to the infirmary. You're Joon, right?"
She finally read my name tag properly, then pursed her lipstick-covered lips as if showing them off on purpose.
"Joon. Jun. Your nickname is only one syllable, huh?"
(N/T: Joon is often called Jun, but I prefer using Joon)
"…Yes."
"Joon, where did I say I work again?"
"…In the counseling room on the 1st floor, next to the infirmary."
"Correct. You remember well."
She reached out and stroked my hair.
Like a child, I immediately blushed, unable to look back at her. I just lowered my head and stared at the floor while letting her soft hand touch my head.
"If something is bothering you or causing you trouble, come to the counseling room anytime. Understand?"
"Good boy."
She smiled and turned around, about to leave.
[Choice: Confess that there really is someone inside the toilet bothering you]
⇨ Page 115
[Choice: Enter the toilet alone]
⇨ Page 144
---
[Choice: Confess that there really is someone inside the toilet bothering you]
"Teacher… wait a moment!"
"...."
I hurriedly called out to Teacher Ryu Jinah, who was about to walk away. She stopped, then turned to look at me.
"Actually… there really is someone inside calling me to bother me… that's why I came out alone during club activity time…"
"....."
She silently stared at my face carefully, then asked:
"Is that true?"
"…Yes."
I nodded. It wasn't a lie.
The choices in this book kept dragging me toward an encounter with the Red Woman.
If I entered the toilet like this, she was definitely already waiting for me inside.
'…In that case, let them face each other.'
The psychopathic counseling teacher from the Void Church school and the Red Woman who emerged from a ghost story.
I would make them confront each other directly.
"..."
Not long after, Teacher Ryu Jinah, who had been staring at me in silence, stepped back toward me.
"If that's the case, let's go in together with the teacher."
"…Alright."
With an awkward face, I opened the door to the boys' toilet.
*Giiiiiik—*
"..."
From outside, it looked empty at first glance.
Teacher Ryu Jinah also peeked inside and murmured quietly.
"…It seems like no one's here?"
"Maybe she hid in one of the stalls when she saw the teacher coming. Let's go in…"
I took one step inside, then looked back at her.
Teacher Ryu Jinah looked at me, then at the sign that said **Boys' Toilet**. After hesitating for a moment, she finally stepped inside as well.
But at some point, the smile on her face had completely disappeared.
At first, she had only been making small talk to lighten the mood with me. She probably didn't expect me to actually drag her in like this.
I moved behind her and closed the toilet door.
"Now, whoever is in here intending to bother me won't be able to escape anymore."
I stood in front of the first stall and opened the door.
Teacher Ryu Jinah still stood silently near the entrance, just staring at me without saying a word.
*Giiiiiik—*
"..."
The first stall was empty.
I moved one step sideways and opened the second door.
Giiiiiik—
"....."
The second stall was also empty.
I turned my head again and saw that Teacher Ryu Jinah was now looking at me with a cold expression.
'So, you're finally showing your true face.'
She was smart enough to realize there was actually no one calling me here.
It had only been small talk to start a conversation, but I had unexpectedly used it to drag her inside.
I let Teacher Ryu Jinah interpret it however she wanted, then opened the third door without hesitation.
*Giiiiiik—*
Even though she was a psychopathic teacher, it was still better to have someone else beside me than to check this place alone.
However, the third stall was also empty.
"Joon."
She suddenly called my name, making me turn. This time, Teacher Ryu Jinah showed a gentle smile on her face again.
"Why did you lie to your teacher? Tell me now — the teacher will understand."
Her tone sounded like she was about to embrace and forgive me.
I looked at her seriously and answered,
"I didn't lie. I really heard that there was a woman in this toilet, waiting to hurt me."
"…A woman? Who?"
"They said it was the Red Woman. Seems like a ghost."
I nodded firmly with a serious face.
Teacher Ryu Jinah continued smiling gently without saying anything. But soon, her lips opened again.
"What are you waiting for? Continue."
"…What?"
"Maybe she's hiding in the fourth stall. If she appears, the teacher will scold her."
As she said that, she stepped closer and stood right behind me, the smile still fixed on her face.
"Come on, open it quickly. Hurry."
"....."
I tensed up for a moment, thinking she would turn cold again. But she went back to acting gently.
Finally, following her words, I quickly yanked open the fourth door.
Giiiiiik—
The moment the door opened, I immediately felt that something was wrong.
"...."
"....."
I froze, my gaze fixed straight ahead. With a hoarse voice, I asked the teacher.
"…Teacher. Right now… there's someone above my head, right?"
"..."
From behind me came the sound of Teacher Ryu Jinah's sharply caught breath — a wordless acknowledgment.
Not long after, the teacher spoke in a calm voice, as if advising me.
"…Your name is Joon, right?"
"Yes, Teacher."
"Joon. Don't look up. Just turn around and get out of here. Quickly."
As she said that, I heard the sound of her high-heeled slippers slowly stepping backward — *tok, tok, tok* — clearly audible.
"…Come on, over here. Hurry."
"..."
"Get out now, Joon. With the teacher, quickly…."
I have to—
Ignoring the teacher's warning, I looked up to confirm who was above me. ⇨ Next page
Following the teacher and running out.
⇨ Page 134
Tok, tok, tok—Bang!
The moment I tried to look up instead of running, Teacher Ryu Jinah hurriedly ran out of the toilet by herself and slammed the door shut.
I have to—
Continue looking up to confirm what it is. ⇨ Next page
Immediately run out right now. ⇨ Page 134
Tok, tok, tok—Bang!
The moment I tried to look up instead of running, Teacher Ryu Jinah suddenly started doing an intense tap dance on the spot with her high-heeled slippers, producing loud *tok tok tok tok tok* sounds as if deliberately trying to scare me.
I looked up and confirmed its form. ⇨ Next page
Run out right now. ⇨ Page 134
Tok, tok, tok—Bang!
When I didn't run and tried to look up instead, Teacher Ryu Jinah suddenly went crazy doing tap dance right there with her high heels, making *tok tok tok tok* sounds.
But she slipped, her head slammed hard into the ceramic toilet floor with a *bang!*, and died on the spot.
Strangely, even after dying, her legs kept moving up and down, continuously making tok tok tok sounds as if deliberately trying to scare me.
Then she said something weird:
"אדום $&@$"
"…Yes, I understand."
I have to—
□□□□□□□□□ ⇨ Next page
Right now □□□□□□□□□ ⇨ Page 134
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
(N/T: The admin couldn't translate this part properly, but the letters use the Hebrew alphabet)
---
[You have died.]
[Restarting from the checkpoint.]
[Loading…]
⇨ **Page 46**
---
[Choice: Run out right now]
"Haa, haa, haa..."
I hurriedly ran out following Teacher Ryu Jinah and quickly closed the door behind me.
The teacher also looked extremely shocked. Her face was flushed red as she tried to steady her breathing.
"?ni chanh gwaen"
"Yes, I'm fine… haa, haa…"
"?ni it di eoseo eun the book"
"…The book—"
I was about to answer, but suddenly froze while staring at Teacher Ryu Jinah.
How did this person know about the book and ask me about it?
The redness on the teacher's face from the shock of running didn't fade. Instead, it grew deeper until it turned completely blood-red.
The gentle smile she usually showed while destroying students' souls slowly turned red as well, until her entire form transformed into a blazing red ghost figure.
"ספר אדום?"
"…What did you just say?"
"Give it toooo meeee… ספר אדום!!!"
"Ugh! Aagh, urgh! Ghh, ugh!"
"Ahh! Aagh, agh! Uwagh! Argh, argh!"
"Ahh! Aagh, agh! Uwagh! Argh, uwagh!!"
[You have died.]
[Restarting from the checkpoint.]
[Loading…]
⇨ Page 46
---
Switching from page 92
[Choice: For some reason I want to check the 3rd floor toilet]
"I'll check the 3rd floor toilet. For some reason, I feel like doing it today."
"In that case, I'll check floors 1 and 2. Either the President or Deokhun can check floor 4."
"No. Gyeongwon, you check floors 1, 2, and 4."
"…I was already assigned floors 1 and 2, why do I have to skip one and go all the way to floor 4 too?"
"Yeah. Today I just feel like making you do it."
Gyeongwon stared at me silently for a moment, then slowly turned around and walked toward the boys' toilet at the end of the 1st floor corridor.
I went up the stairs with Deokhun, then parted ways with him on the 3rd floor. Alone, I walked along the corridor toward the toilet at the end.
'3rd floor….'
Our school's structure is simple: 1st floor for first-years, 2nd floor for second-years, 3rd floor for third-years. So on the 3rd floor were the seniors preparing for this year's university entrance exams.
It wasn't a floor I had much connection to, but occasionally I saw first-year students with different name tags entering classrooms. It seemed that during club activity time, all classrooms were used as club rooms regardless of grade.
While walking down the corridor, a female student suddenly opened a classroom door in front of me and started walking in the same direction.
I didn't recognize her face, so I just walked alongside her without thinking much. But surprisingly, the girl stepped ahead and headed straight for the boys' toilet I was about to enter.
"…Ehm, wait a second."
I quickly called out to her.
"That's the boys' toilet—"
The moment I finished speaking and she turned around, I unconsciously gasped and held my breath.
'…Holy shit, her breasts are huge.'
Damn.
Was that thought of mine also written in the book?
If the girls read something like that, they'd definitely be really offended.
But honestly, I didn't know how else to describe it. The size was genuinely shocking, so the thought just came reflexively.
My eyes then caught the name tag hanging beside her uniform top, which looked like it was about to burst because the buttons were barely holding on.
[Lee Hyejin]
'…The name tag color is first-year, huh?'
Was there really a girl like this in my grade?
The girl was about to enter the boys' toilet, then stopped, stepped back, and looked at me.
"Then where is the girls' bathroom?"
"…Over there."
I pointed to the opposite corridor.
"Thank you."
The girl smiled kindly.
She had a pretty face, and even though it was our first meeting, for some reason I felt like we had known each other for a long time.
If I had to put it nicely, she looked friendly, but in slang terms, she was the type of "nerd-killer" girl who always appeared warm and approachable — the kind that made nerdy guys fall for her easily.
The type who, if she saw you eating alone, would definitely sit next to you and say, "Why are you eating by yourself?" with a friendly face.
'She must have received tons of love confessions from nerdy guys.'
The girl smiled warmly once more, then turned and walked toward the opposite side.
I stood there silently watching her back for a moment, then rubbed my hands to snap myself out of it.
With that kind of appearance, it was no wonder many guys were whispering about her. Since I had never heard about her before, she was probably a transfer student.
My heart was still pounding hard.
'Is this written in the book too?'
I took out the book I had tucked inside my uniform and checked the pages. Every single thought of mine was written there without missing anything.
'Thank god the girls aren't reading this.'
Now alone, I closed the book, took a deep breath, and opened the toilet door.
'Okay, let's check it.'
Right as I stepped inside—
Plak—!
It seemed someone had just cleaned it, making the tiles extremely slippery that day. My heel slipped, my body tilted backward, and my head slammed hard into the floor.
Blung—!
It felt like the top of my skull was crushed. For a moment there was no pain, and my vision went dark.
In front of my eyes appeared the text:
[You have died.]
[Restarting from checkpoint.]
Just as those words were about to cover my view, I managed to regain consciousness and staggered up from the floor.
"Damn it… what the hell…"
Just as I was about to complain about nearly dying, I stepped on an energy drink bottle (like Bokkas) left by the seniors preparing for exams. It was slippery on the floor and I slipped again.
"Uwaaaa!"
Once again I felt my consciousness fading and closed my eyes.
[You have died.]
[Restarting from checkpoint.]
[Loading…]
⇨ Page 46
Switching to page 92
[Choice: Check the 4th floor toilet near the science lab]
"I'll check the 4th floor toilet. Gyeongwon, you check floors 1 to 3. Good luck."
"Uhyoo~"
Without another word, Gyeongwon immediately turned and headed toward the boys' toilet at the end of the 1st floor corridor.
I went up the stairs with Deokhun, parted ways with him on the 4th floor, and walked along the corridor toward the toilet at the end.
"See you upstairs~"
"Okay."
4th floor.
This place held quite a few memories for us because of the science lab and music room.
During midterms, we had a fierce argument with the old science teacher here. Even the human anatomy model in the lab escaped during the apocalypse and acted like a detective until the next horror story appeared.
In the music room at the end of the corridor, during the internal science competition selection, we once had a shootout with Ms. Choi Jeong-im when she suddenly went berserk.
'Hopefully this time I can get through it peacefully…'
But since the book's choice forced me to come here, it was almost impossible to return safely.
With that resolve, I continued down the corridor. At that moment, Ms. Han Ari came running hurriedly toward me from the far end.
"Good afternoon, Ma'am."
"Ah! Yes, hello— oh, perfect timing! Did you see a book on your way here!?"
"A book, Ma'am?"
A red book!?
The moment the word "red" came out of Ms. Han Ari's mouth, I immediately prepared to take her down with a lock and fold her arms and legs to restrain her.
But she simply bent down hurriedly, searching the floor, and walked right past me.
"If you didn't see it, never mind. It's just a textbook… I think I dropped it earlier when I passed by."
"I'll help you look, Ma'am."
I relaxed my guard and helped her search. Soon, we found a book lying on the window sill.
"Ah, yes! I took a phone call here earlier… I must have put it down then."
"You were only looking down at the floor, so you didn't see it. Here's the book."
"Thank you!"
Ms. Han Ari sighed in relief like a chick that had just escaped suffocation.
"This is the handbook we need to use for the next club activity period, so I was looking for it… You're first-year Joon, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
I nodded a bit awkwardly.
She seemed to still remember me, probably because I had been the MC for the science competition some time ago and won first place.
We walked back toward the end of the corridor while chatting lightly.
"By the way, you just joined mid-semester but you're still a club advisor?"
"Yes. All the duties previously handled by the science teacher who passed away, I'm now continuing them…"
"What club is it, Ma'am?"
"The Medical Club. Students who want to become doctors, nurses, or work in hospitals gather there."
While walking, she flipped open the book I had helped find and showed me the cover.
The title was 'The Beautiful Journey of a Village Doctor', a very famous book that had even been required reading. But I knew the book through a different route.
'…Gyeongwon once mentioned there's also a fairly famous ghost story in it.'
"Ma'am, that book by chance…"
"It's not that."
With a warm smile, Ms. Han Ari showed me the front and back of the book.
"I actually dreamed of becoming a doctor before. So I've read this book many times. My favorite subject was biology, but because of my grades I ended up in the education department… If I get a higher grade class later, I want to teach biology."
"I see, Ma'am…"
While talking, she didn't show the usual adult authority. She felt more like a friend. So even though I was still a student, I was the one mostly nodding and responding.
'But… she's already busy dealing with relatively innocent first-years, and she still dreams of teaching higher grades?'
It seemed the future waiting for this petite teacher would be quite tough.
I thought about telling her the ghost story in the book about the senile grandmother who unknowingly boiled her grandchild in rib soup, but I held back.
That story wasn't just unpleasant; it was based on a true event. I was afraid mentioning it would sound like I was using it for entertainment.
"Anyway, I'll head in now. Bye~"
"Yes, take care, Ma'am."
Ms. Han Ari waved kindly as she entered the science lab.
I waved back, feeling more like I was seeing off a peer than a teacher. Then I continued toward my original destination — the toilet.
Kriiik—klik.
Thankfully, the boys' toilet on the 4th floor was empty.
Of course, "empty" only meant no humans. A ghost could still be hiding in some unseen corner.
Because of that, I stayed cautious and kept my distance, using a mop to push open each stall door one by one.
Kriiik—kriiik—kriiik—
"…Nothing here."
After pushing open the fourth stall, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"It's clear here. Okay."
I made a circle with my fingers as a 'clear' sign and exited the toilet.
'Now I'll just go back to the club room and wait for the others.'
---
When I went up to the 5th floor toward the club room, Deokhun had already finished checking. He was sitting alone, busy tinkering with the computer.
"I'm back."
"Yo, hisashiburi[1]."
Without turning around, he just raised his hand.
I closed the club room door and walked slowly behind Deokhun, who was still focused on the computer.
"How was it? Anything in the 5th floor toilet?"
"Nothing."
The computer he was tinkering with had just been bought last week, along with the TV during club time. The difference was that he had ordered this one separately with cash, not club points. When we carried it from Seon-ah's house early in the morning, it was quite heavy and tiring.
"What's wrong? You've been plugging and unplugging cables nonstop."
"I'm checking if there's any difference in image quality between the DP and HDMI ports."
He said that while crouching, busy fiddling with the cables behind the CPU.
Every time he unplugged and plugged in a cable, the monitor flickered, and each time, the terrifying face of a woman with glowing red skin would flash briefly on the screen.
"What is this? Why is your wallpaper a ghost picture?"
"Yare yare~."
I asked, but Deokhun only gave a half-hearted response and continued messing with the cables in the CPU.
I clicked my tongue and lightly kicked his butt.
"Get up for a second. Look at it yourself. That's seriously a ghost wallpaper."
"Hmm…?"
He finally looked up at the monitor.
On the full screen, the terrifying red-faced woman was clearly displayed. The two of us stared at it silently for a few moments.
"...."
"....."
"Excuse me"
Suddenly, the red-faced woman covering the screen moved her lips. She spoke to us.
"Where… is the book?"
"....."
"....."
Both Deokhun and I froze. After a few seconds, I recovered first and slowly nudged his butt with my toe.
"…Hey."
"....."
"Unplug the power cable. Quick."
"…Uh, y-yeah."
On the screen, the woman kept staring at us without moving at all. Meanwhile, the two of us couldn't move our bodies, as if frozen in place.
I nudged Deokhun's still-stiff butt with my toe again.
"…Unplug it. Hurry. The power cable."
"…O-okay… yeah…"
"Slowly. Don't move suddenly. Calm… slowly…"
"U, ugh, yeah, yeah…"
"Slow. Calm. Slow… slow…"
"..Haa… haa…"
The woman continued staring at us from the monitor.
Deokhun, still kneeling, slowly lowered his head again. His hand fumbled around searching for the power cable.
"Excuse me."
"....."
"Where the book."
"....."
"Is it there. "
"....."
"Where the book where the book where the book where the book!"
"Pull IT!!"
When the woman twisted her head with an inhuman, eerie voice, I screamed. Deokhun put all his strength into it.
"Unplug it right nooow!!!"
"Uwaaaarghhhhhh!!!!"
Pak!
"Haah, haah…!"
"Hhh, hhh…!"
We panted heavily, holding the unplugged power cable.
For a moment there was silence. Then suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the door.
"….!"
We reflexively turned our heads in shock.
Thankfully, it was just the teacher and club members who had finished checking the girls' toilet and were returning.
The door opened, and Teacher Jang Hwaeun entered first. Her face was bright red, her long tongue hanging out.
Following behind her, Sunah, Hayoon, and Jinhee also entered. All of them had flushed red faces, visible blood vessels on their skin, tongues sticking out, eyes bulging and crossed, lining up neatly in front of us.
"Joon… just like you said, I checked the girls' toilet… and sure enough… that woman was there…"
Sunah said with a vacant gaze, her focus completely gone.
Jinhee continued, her tongue dangling and trembling.
"Yeah, that woman told us to strangle each other. So the four of us stood in a square and choked each other's necks until we passed out."
"While screaming the whole time, it felt so good I almost died, Joon. Being choked, face turning bright red, and wetting my pants."
Hayoon spoke in a hoarse voice, her neck tilted broken to one side.
Then the four of them slowly approached us.
"The book, Joon…? You've been hiding it under your stomach this whole time, right…?"
"Perverted Joon. You must have felt good hiding it there."
"Hey, take out the book. Let's all look at it together."
Trembling in fear, Deokhun and I slowly backed away but eventually got cornered against the wall with nowhere left to run. At that moment, the four women pounced on us at once.
"Joon, let me choke your neck…!"
"Hey, otaku! Don't run. Let me fill your face with blood."
Sunah and Hayoon jumped at me, pressing down on my neck, while Jinhee and the teacher strangled Deokhun's neck.
We couldn't fight back. Our bodies were slammed to the floor and mercilessly choked.
"Ggghhh—kkkghh—gghhhkkk!!"
"Keheheheheheheheh…"
"Joon, so you like being choked by girls, huh?"
"Ughh, kkhhh—ghhhkk—!"
I struggled under Sunah and Hayoon's bodies, but my consciousness gradually faded from the pain.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Gyeongwon standing outside the club room door, his body shaking violently as he stared at us.
He seemed to have just arrived after having to check three floors at once.
Seeing that scene, I realized something. A new awareness appeared in my mind, and I slowly closed my eyes.
'…So that's it. This is what it meant….'
"Kehehehehehehehehehehe…"
"Joon, does it feel good…?"
"Hey, otaku! Don't die yet! Wake up!"
"The teacher's hands are surprisingly strong too, huh?"
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha…"
[You have died.]
[Restarting from the checkpoint.]
[Loading…]
⇨ Page 46
Because you were curious about the other choices, you carelessly peeked at other pages.
Now, the Red Woman is hanging upside down in the bathroom of your house, waiting for you to open the door.
Now, the Red Woman is hanging upside down in the bathroom of your house, waiting for you to open the door.
Because you were curious about the other choices, you carelessly peeked at other pages.
Now, the Red Woman is hanging upside down in front of your bedroom door, waiting for you to open the door.
Because you were curious about the other choices, you carelessly peeked at other pages.
Now, the Red Woman is hanging upside down in front of your house door, waiting for you to open the door.
, the Red Woman is hanging upside down in front of your house door, waiting for you to open the door.
"....."
After returning from death, I regained consciousness and found myself in the corridor in front of the club room.
The club members were standing around me, and from inside the club room, Teacher Jang Hwaeun had just come out carrying a rattan cane, smiling sweetly.
'This… means right after we chose weapons at the beginning and left the club room, right?'
It was still very early in the story.
It seemed this was where the first major story branch appeared.
I stared at the book.
Kill Teacher Jang Hwaeun
⇨ Page 39
Find the Red Woman
⇨ Page 55
'This is where the first fork in the road lies. And…'
I briefly wondered if I was wrong, then tried choosing all the options one by one, even following the same ones over and over again.
It was only now that I realized something.
'…shit this is.'
No matter what I chose, I would die.
[1] : "Hisashiburi" is Japanese for "long time no see")