Crafting a Ghost Story - Sleep Paralysis (1)

Wednesday. I was sitting in my basic psychology lecture. The elderly professor droned on with his usual boring material while students engaged in their own ways. Some were asleep, others scribbled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠notes furiously, a few chatted with friends, and then there were those like me, glued to their phones.

I sat in my usual spot at the back, casually browsing through various sites. One particular post that had just gone up caught my eye.

"Is sleep paralysis really that scary?" I'd never experienced it myself. I always slept soundly without even dreaming. Especially lately, after finishing quests I was so exhausted that I'd pass out the moment I hit the bed. So whenever I saw posts or heard stories about sleep paralysis online or from people around me, I felt a bit curious. That heavy feeling when you're dead tired and fall asleep, your body refusing to move even a finger, your voice stuck in your throat, while something alien presses down on you. That was the usual description. Personally, I figured it was just something that happened when you were exhausted and not feeling well, not some supernatural phenomenon. Still, since I wasn't a fan of scary stuff, I had no desire to experience it firsthand.

While I was lost in thought, I heard girls talking nearby.

"Dahyun, what are you doing after class? I have a free period, hang out with me~"

"I'm heading straight to my studio apartment to sleep. I couldn't sleep last night because of an assignment."

Kang Dahyun was sitting diagonally to my right across the aisle. The girl with light brown skin and cat-like eyes. Today she wore jeans and white sneakers. Her top was a mint-colored shirt. Since she had turned to face her friend on the right, I couldn't see her face clearly. But the tight jeans perfectly outlined her lower body.

"Hmm... my free period is kinda awkward... Then, can I come hang out at your place too?"

"I'm just gonna sleep though... Well, you can rest for a bit. Just make sure to turn off the TV when you leave."

Kang Dahyun's voice sounded extremely tired. She must have stayed up doing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠assignments for another class.

'Tired? Who's the one who's actually tired here...'

But watching her like that, I felt strangely annoyed. After all, in our basic psychology pair project, I'd done all the work myself. Even though it was a two-person assignment and the workload wasn't huge, it still wasn't something one person could breeze through easily. Thanks to that, I'd spent several nights preparing it.

'Wait... she has her own place?'

Then something in their conversation caught my attention. Studio apartment. I hadn't known Kang Dahyun lived alone. From what they were saying, it seemed close to campus, probably near the main gate.

'Come to think of it... I think the quest area restriction around the main gate got lifted last time...'

My memory was hazy, but I was pretty sure that was the case. I'd heard that quests could now be generated and completed near the main gate as well.

Their conversation continued.

"By the way, did I turn off the TV last time before I left?"

"You left it on~ I woke up because of the sound."

"Hehe, sorry~ This time I won't bother you at all. I'll keep the volume low while watching. I'll definitely turn it off before I go~"

My gaze drifted toward Kang Dahyun, who was still turned away. Her jet-black hair, slim waist, and long, beautiful legs. Her profile was stunning. I'd heard before that she worked as a fitting model. I'd even looked up the shopping site where her photos were posted and spent time browsing through all her fitting pictures that day.

She was showing off her gorgeous legs and figure to the fullest. Whether in skirts or jeans, everything suited her. And today in the lecture hall, she looked like she was posing for a photoshoot. I kept finding my eyes drawn to her profile.

Just then—

"Alright, that's it for today's class."

The professor's voice signaled the end. Students began packing up and filing out of the lecture hall one by one.

-Creak.

Kang Dahyun also gathered her things and stood up. Once she was on her feet, her figure became even more obvious. She stood with her back to me, waiting for her friend who hadn't finished packing yet.

'Whoa...'

Her lower body in those jeans. Her firm, round ass looked like it was about to burst out of the denim, radiating presence. The fabric was slightly pinched between her cheeks and thighs, showing off what people called "underbutt." And above that was her slim waist. The tight shirt and beautiful curve of her waist drew just as many stares as her ass. Probably no guy in class today had managed to avoid looking at her.

Kang Dahyun stood with her back to me, waiting. I kept stealing glances at her from behind. The clinging jeans traced the line from her plump ass down to her thighs and calves. Her legs and the jeans went perfectly together. Between the hem of the jeans and her sneakers, her light brown ankles were visible.

-Creak.

Her friend finally finished packing and stood up. I immediately turned my head forward and pretended to organize my own things. Their laughter echoed beside me. Kang Dahyun seemed pretty close with her friends. Her face, smiling as she chatted with them, looked even more beautiful than usual. The version of her I met during quests was always frowning or annoyed... Every time she laughed or turned her head, her long black hair swayed gently.

Soon they left the lecture hall. As she walked out, her elastic ass swayed in a way that caught the eye. Before long, only a few students including me remained, and the room had grown quite quiet.

'Jeans really suit her.'

After finishing basic psychology class, my head was filled with nothing but thoughts of Kang Dahyun. This happened often. Her appearance frequently left me distracted during these lectures. And every time, I couldn't help hoping a quest might trigger.

'Ah... wait a second...'

Then I remembered something I'd forgotten. The random box. The one I'd received after returning from the parallel world last time. I'd been too out of it to open it right away. After being gangbanged by Lee Ayoung's roommates for hours, I'd been on the verge of passing out. As far as I recalled, I'd gotten the random box and immediately collapsed onto the bed. That's why I'd completely forgotten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about it, still tucked away in my pants pocket.

I rummaged through my pockets, feeling around for items.

'The number of items keeps increasing... it's getting hard to remember what's what...'

Just then—

'Oh...'

The list of items I currently held appeared, almost as if reading my mind. If items kept piling up like this, I'd definitely need to check this screen more often. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the random box I'd been looking for. Holding the plastic box with both hands, I applied a little force. The seam split and it came apart easily.

'Huh?'

But there was nothing inside. The pieces faded and disappeared. Then a message window appeared in midair.

[You have obtained Forced Costume App - Ankle Tattoo as a reward.]

[The Forced Costume App has been installed on your phone.]

[This app cannot be recognized by others.]

'...What?'

After a moment of thought, I turned my phone screen back on. Scrolling through the apps, I found one I'd never seen before.

Forced Costume

I tapped the unfamiliar app. The screen changed and a notification popped up.

[Congratulations on activating the Forced Costume App for the first time.]

[Through this app, you can forcibly apply costumes you own to any woman you know.]

[Any future Forced Costume series rewards will be added to this app automatically.]

[Don't show this message again (Y/N)]

[Currently Owned Costumes]

[- Ankle Tattoo]

'What the...?'

Notifications flooded the screen when I opened the app. From the description, it seemed I could forcibly apply outfits or other options to female students I knew. What I'd received was the ankle tattoo. I clicked on the sparkling "Ankle Tattoo" text in the list.

Costume Name: Ankle Tattoo

Usable on: 1 person

Description: You can engrave a tattoo around a desired woman's ankle (near the ankle bone). Choose from various designs such as butterflies, constellations, flowers, etc. The woman will remember going to a tattoo shop herself to get it done. After applying this costume, you can hide it anytime through the app.

Seemed like an item for giving a woman a tattoo.

'Not really interested in tattoos...'

My excitement faded. Anything not directly related to sex tended to lose my interest. I'd been hoping for something I could use on Kang Dahyun, but this was a bit disappointing. The vivid image of her ass straining against those jeans flashed through my mind.

'What a shame...'

Just then, a notification appeared in the air.

'Oh...?'

A quest that looked pretty interesting had been generated.